Photo Courtesy of Delaware County Sheriff’s Department
On a chilly November morning in 2018, the rolling farmland of Earlville, Iowa, looked like any other quiet patch of the Midwest. But inside one red shed on the Mullis family farm, something unspeakable had happened. When first responders arrived, they found 39-year-old Amy Mullis lying face-down, a corn rake lodged deep in her back. What looked like a tragic farm accident at first would soon unravel into one of Iowa’s most shocking murder cases — a story of jealousy, control, and betrayal that would haunt the small town for years.
A Picture of Small-Town Life
Amy and Todd Mullis were the kind of couple people in town thought had it all — a successful hog farm, three beautiful children, and a life built on hard work. Amy, once a nurse, worked alongside her husband on the farm, caring for animals and raising their family. But behind the white fences and tidy barns, their marriage was quietly falling apart.
Friends later said Amy felt trapped — controlled by Todd, monitored in nearly every aspect of her life. Some even said she’d earned a dark nickname among friends: “POT,” short for Prisoner of Todd. It was said half-jokingly, but there was truth behind it. Amy longed for independence, and her friends knew it.
Cracks in the Marriage
In 2013, Amy had an affair with a man who worked on their farm. Todd discovered it, and though she begged forgiveness, their marriage never fully recovered. He became increasingly controlling, watching her movements, checking her phone, and insisting she prove her loyalty.
By 2018, Amy had begun seeing another man — quietly, cautiously. She told friends she planned to leave Todd after harvest season, once things settled down on the farm. But she also told them something far more chilling: “If something happens to me, look for me in the woods.”
The Morning Everything Changed
November 10, 2018, started like any other day on the Mullis farm. Todd, Amy, and their 13-year-old son Trysten were working in the hog barn, prepping for new piglets. Amy wasn’t feeling well — dizzy, she said — so Todd suggested she rest or grab a pet carrier from the red shed nearby.
Minutes later, Trysten went to check on her. What he found would haunt him forever. Amy lay face-down in the dirt, a corn rake — a heavy metal tool with four sharp tines — impaled in her back.
Todd rushed to her side, shouting for his son to get help. As they raced toward the hospital, Todd called 911, telling dispatchers Amy had “fallen on the rake.” Despite his frantic efforts, Amy was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
The Scene That Didn’t Add Up
Investigators weren’t convinced this was a simple accident. The first red flag came from the autopsy. The corn rake had four tines — but Amy had six puncture wounds. The medical examiner determined she had been stabbed multiple times, with one wound puncturing her lung and liver, another rupturing a breast implant.
Amy also had bruises on her face and hands, consistent with a struggle. It was clear she hadn’t simply fallen. Someone had attacked her — and the evidence pointed toward her husband.
When detectives searched the Mullis home, they discovered something else deeply disturbing: Todd’s iPad history. Hidden searches included phrases like “killing unfaithful women,” “what happens to cheaters in history,” and “thrill of the hunt.”
The Motive Becomes Clear
Todd had confided to others that he was terrified of losing his farm and everything he’d built if Amy divorced him. He’d told friends he couldn’t “go through another one” and that if Amy ever cheated again, he’d “make sure she never left.”
In the weeks before her death, Amy had told friends she finally felt brave enough to leave. She was tired of living under Todd’s control. That decision may have sealed her fate.
The Trial That Shocked Iowa
Todd Mullis was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. During the 2019 trial, prosecutors painted a picture of a man consumed by jealousy and fear of financial ruin. They argued that Todd used the corn rake — a tool meant for farm work — as a weapon to end the life of the woman he could no longer control.
The defense insisted it was an accident, claiming Amy fainted and fell on the rake, possibly multiple times. But jurors didn’t buy it. The evidence — the wounds, the search history, and Amy’s fearful words before her death — told a different story.
In September 2019, the jury found Todd Mullis guilty of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A Life Cut Short
Amy Mullis left behind three children, countless friends, and a community that still struggles to understand how such brutality could unfold on a quiet Iowa farm. Her death is a reminder that control disguised as love can turn dangerous — and that sometimes, the monsters aren’t lurking in the shadows but standing right beside us.
