Josh Taylor wasn’t even born when his aunt, Terri McCauley, was murdered in Sioux City in September 1983.
More than four decades later, a man accused of killing her is going to trial, bringing a mix of anticipation and apprehension for relatives who spent years wondering if anyone would ever be held accountable.
“Her brothers and I share the same feeling of anxiety over the trial and how we want answers,” Taylor said. “Her two children were quite young when all of this happened, and not having a mother and then ultimately learning what happened to their mom and how she died is really what the family strives to find out.”
McCauley, a member of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, was 18 years old when she disappeared after a night out with friends. They last saw her getting into a vehicle outside a bar on West 7th Street in Sioux City. Her body was discovered 10 days later in a wooded area near what is now Trinity Heights.
Thomas Popp, 63, is charged with first-degree murder in her death.
Sioux City police investigators had suspected Popp, but prosecutors at the time did not believe there was enough evidence to secure a conviction.
The investigation remained unresolved for decades, but hat changed in January 2025, when a Woodbury County grand jury indicted Popp. Authorities arrested him in Washington state the next day.
After several procedural delays, the case is now headed to trial in Woodbury County District Court. If convicted of first-degree murder, Popp faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“My family, for years, prayed and then essentially lost hope because nothing happened,” Taylor said. "I'm excited for them, but also heartbroken because I know what lies ahead is going to be tough, very disheartening to experience.”
For Taylor, the trial is also an opportunity to focus attention on who his aunt was, rather than how she died.
“The more important aspect of this case is remembering Terri as a daughter, a sister and a loved one. We kind of forget about those aspects,” Taylor said. “We’re quick to jump to, well, she’s another statistic of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives.”
Turning loss into advocacy
During the long wait for developments in McCauley’s death, her relatives turned their grief into advocacy.
They used social media to draw new attention to her unsolved death. Their efforts eventually grew into Red Sky Nation, an organization focused on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR).
“When we started kind of an awareness campaign for Terri, we kind of asked ourselves, 'How can we help other than just Terri?'” Taylor said.
That effort included developing stronger ties with law enforcement and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Red Sky Nation has since expanded its reach beyond the Sioux City area.
“We work with the families as far as North Dakota, South Dakota, the Kansas and Missouri area,” Taylor said.
The organization also holds an annual MMIR powwow in Sioux City to honor missing and murdered Indigenous people and support those still seeking justice for their loved ones.
