Suspect in 1983 Sioux City homicide pleads not guilty

Thomas Popp, 62, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder for his alleged role in the 1983 homicide of Terri McCauley in Sioux City. His plea was entered in Woodbury County District Court, where District Judge Tod Deck subsequently set a trial date for June 3. Popp is currently being held in the Woodbury County Jail with a bond set at $3 million.

The charges stem from McCauley's tragic death, as she was last seen alive in a parking lot, entering a white Chevy Nova on September 26, 1983. Her partially clothed and decomposed body was discovered over a week later, showing evidence of having been shot in the face with a 20-gauge shotgun. Following this incident, investigators initially linked a shotgun, the vehicle, and other circumstantial evidence to a suspect but could not secure enough concrete evidence for prosecution at the time.

Popp's arrest occurred in January when a grand jury indictment was filed against him. He was located in Washington and returned to Sioux City on March 8. Although authorities have not disclosed the specific evidence that connected him to McCauley's murder, the case has remained a point of interest and distress for her family over the years.

McCauley's nephew, Josh Taylor, expressed mixed feelings of hope and doubt regarding the resolution of the case after so many years. He mentioned that while hope had dwindled over four decades, recent developments brought a renewed sense of optimism for McCauley's family.

If convicted, Popp would face a mandatory life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole, adding weight to the proceedings as the trial approaches.