A Lanesboro man was arrested today (Thursday) in connection to the disappearance of a Farnhamville man who was last seen alive nearly six years ago. According to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, 33-year-old Albert John Wolfe of Lanesboro was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder, a class A felony, for the 2020 death of then-26-year-old Christian Balke-Thompson. Balke-Thompson was first reported missing to authorities on May 2, 2020, after having no contact with friends or family for several days. The remains of a car suspected to belong to Balke-Thompson were recovered from a shed fire in the 22000 block of 150th Street in Carroll County just days after he was last seen alive. While law enforcement’s initial efforts yielded little actionable information, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office-led investigation, with assistance from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and Iowa Attorney General’s Office Cold Case Unit, repeatedly followed up on any leads over the years, including an excavation in March 2024 at a rural property north of Carroll, nearly four years after Balke-Thompson had first been reported missing. Specific details of Wolfe’s arrest have not been released, but court records show he is being held at the Carroll County Jail without bond, pending an initial court appearance. If convicted, Wolfe faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. The Rockwell City Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Webster County Attorney’s Office, and Iowa Search-and-Rescue (SAR) K9 also assisted in the investigation.
Lanesboro Man Arrested Thursday For 2020 Murder Of Farnhamville Man
