A family member described Donald Dean Studey as a “shark” with no regard for human feelings. But was his volatile temperament a mere sign of much deadlier behavior?
The Paramount+ docuseries My Killer Father: The Green Hollow Murders examines this very possibility. Premiering Tuesday, April 28, the project examines claims by Lucy Studey McKiddy that her father was actually a serial killer who murdered dozens and disposed of some of the remains in a rural region of Iowa.
Studey, who died in 2013, has never been connected to any killings, but McKiddy insists her father led a double life—even prompting the FBI to investigate her claims. Meanwhile, another sibling maintains the allegations of violence are completely false and is looking to clear Studey’s name.
Here’s everything we know about Studey’s life and what clues have been uncovered.
Who Was Donald Studey?
Little is documented about Studey’s life. According to his gravestone, he was born on May 21, 1937. Furthermore, his brief obituary only states that he was a resident of Thurman, Iowa. He died on March 8, 2013, at age 75.
Purported information about Studey’s younger years comes from his sister, Marilyn Kepler. In an interview with Lee Enterprises, Kepler, 78, alleged she was kidnapped by her parents when she was young. She claimed her sibling Donald protected her in their abusive home.
“God, he was like a father to me,” Kepler said. “I mean, whatever I needed. He always did things for me. He taught me how to shoot a gun. He taught me how to hunt. He showed me how to look for mushrooms. … He was like my dad.”
At the same time, she described Studey as having “no human compassion” and prone to violence. Kepler claims that after she was sexually assaulted and left for dead in a lake as a teenager, she identified one of her alleged attackers to Studey—who proceeded to beat him inside a gas station.
In another incident near Bakersfield, California, she claims she witnessed Studey placing a dead body into a 50-gallon barrel inside a car repair shop.
Kepler, who is now on parole after pleading guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by domestic violence stemming from a 2021 incident, also kept a secret 188-page journal documenting other violent incidents involving Studey. The writings claim he carried a cutoff and cement-filled pipe, using it to carry out hits and beatings for organized crime across multiple states. Although none of the allegations have been proven, her recollections are eerily similar to those of Studey’s daughter, Lucy Studey McKiddy.
Why Is Donald Studey Linked to the Green Hollow Murders?
McKiddy, around 57, claims her father was a serial murderer who preyed upon women, killing them and then dumping their bodies into wells and along mushroom trails in the Green Hollow region of Iowa, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Although her initial report to Fremont County police alleged there may have been around 15 bodies located in a well, she now claims Studey killed several women a year and likely had 50 to 70 victims.
McKiddy alleges she and her siblings carried bags of lye, a chemical compound that her father poured into the wells to accelerate the decomposition of the bodies.
“He would get women to come and stay with us,” McKiddy said in a video essay. “He’d give ‘em the same old story of, ‘I’m a widower, her mom committed suicide when she was just a baby. I gotta work, but I gotta take care of these kids. And I can’t give you a lot of money, but when you’re ready to leave I’ll give you money.’”
Another person—who requested to be identified only as Robert out of fear for his own and his family’s safety—spoke to Lee Enterprises and claims Studey asked him to help move a dead woman’s body around 1975. “There’s this body wrapped in white in the back of the truck, and he wants me to help move it back towards the woods,” Robert said. “He mentioned that it was a female … and I think I saw black Converse-like tennis shoes.”
Robert said he started to help carry the body, but stopped because he felt ill and fearful. “I told him, ‘This is too much for me. I’m not going to do this.’ He said, ‘That’s all right. Just go wait back by your car. I’ll take it from here, and I’ll pay your money,’” Robert continued.
Is There Any Evidence Connected to Donald Studey?
As of now, there is no known evidence connecting Donald Studey to any of the alleged murders.
In response to Robert and McKiddy’s claims, the FBI, the criminal division of the state of Iowa, and Fremont County Sheriff’s Department conducted investigations of the Green Hollow area in December 2022. They drilled at least 85 feet into a well, but recovered only animal bones and closed the case as a result.
The FBI has confirmed it has at least one hour and 42 minutes of audio interviews about Studey and a 612-page report following McKiddy’s claims, but the materials have never been publicly released.
The body of one of Studey’s ex-wives, Charlotte Studey, was exhumed in August 2023 and given another autopsy, according to AuburnPub.com. Her death in 1984 was initially ruled a suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot, but McKiddy and her stepsisters believe Studey killed her. Kepler believes the death may have been a hit ordered or carried out by Studey.
The pathologist who conducted the autopsy concluded the cause of Charlotte’s death would be “best classified as undetermined.”
Charlotte isn’t the only ex-wife of Studey to meet a mysterious fate. According to the documentary trailer, he was married five times and three of his wives were determined to have died by suicide.
What Do Donald Studey’s Children Say About Him?
While McKiddy is adamant her father was a ruthless killer, another daughter of Studey completely refutes the claims.
Susan Studey told Newsweek in 2022 that Donald was a protective parent who loved his children. She only remembered him becoming violent one time, when he fought a neighbor who ran over the family dog.
“I’m two years older than Lucy. I think I would know if my father murdered. I would know if my dad was a serial killer. He was not, and I want my father’s name restored,” Susan said.
Susan also believes cadaver dogs that searched the Green Hollow property may have been fooled by animal bones, along with the remains of her stillborn sister buried there.
A third unidentified Studey sibling hasn’t commented publicly, and a fourth—an unidentified male—died by suicide at age 39, according to Newsweek.
We’ll have to see if the docuseries draws any closer to the real truth of Studey and his past.
Watch My Killer Father: The Green Hollow Murders Now on Paramount+
All three episodes of My Killer Father: The Green Hollow Murders begin streaming Tuesday, April 28, on Paramount+.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
