Connie Kunzmann
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Connie Renea Kunzmann (July 3, 1956 – February 7, 1981) was a
professional basketball In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larg ...
player who was a member of the Iowa Cornets and the Nebraska Wranglers in the
Women's Professional Basketball League The Women's Professional Basketball League (abbreviated WBL) was a professional women's basketball league in the United States. The league played three seasons from the fall of 1978 to the spring of 1981. The league was the first professional w ...
(WBL) from 1978 to 1981. Kunzmann made the transition from halfcourt
six-on-six basketball Six-on-six basketball or basquette is a largely archaic variant of basketball, usually played by women and girls. It is played with the same rules as regular basketball, with the following exceptions: #Teams have six players each instead of five; ...
in high school to the traditional five-on-five full court game in college and the pros. She attended
Wayne State College Wayne State College is a public college in Wayne, Nebraska. It is part of the Nebraska State College System and enrolls 4,202 students. The college opened as a public normal school in 1910 after the state purchased the private Nebraska Normal Co ...
in
Wayne, Nebraska Wayne is a city in Wayne County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 5,660 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wayne County and the home of Wayne State College. History Wayne was founded in 1881 when the Chicago, St. Paul, Minn ...
, where she played on the school's basketball and
softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...
teams. In 1978, she signed with the Iowa Cornets of the newly-formed WBL, which was the first women's professional basketball league in the United States. Kunzmann was killed on February 7, 1981 by Lance Tibke, who later pleaded guilty to
second degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
. He was sentenced to 10 to 40 years in prison, but was
parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...
d after serving less than nine years. Kunzmann's team, the Nebraska Wranglers, canceled their game on February 10 when investigators disclosed that she had been killed. They returned to the court a day later donning black bands on their uniforms in memory of Kunzmann. The Wranglers went on to win the WBL Championship. Kunzmann's death was a national news story – with reports being filed regularly during the search for her body, which was hindered for nearly a week by poor weather conditions. Her remains were located in the Missouri River on March 28, halfway between
Dodge Park N.P. Dodge Memorial Park, or simply Dodge Park, is a recreational area located at 11001 John J. Pershing Drive in North Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Located on the Missouri River, the park provides fishing, water skiing, and boating, as well ...
and the Mormon Bridge. An
autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...
concluded the cause of death was
blunt force trauma Blunt trauma, also known as blunt force trauma or non-penetrating trauma, is physical traumas, and particularly in the elderly who fall. It is contrasted with penetrating trauma which occurs when an object pierces the skin and enters a tissue ...
to the head by an object, likely a
tire iron A tire iron (also tire lever or tire spoon) is a specialized metal tool used in working with tires. Tire irons have not been in common use for automobile tires since the shift to the use of tubeless tires in the late 1950s. Bicycle tire irons ...
. Kunzmann was interred at Lone Tree Cemetery in Everly.


Early life

Kunzmann was born on July 3, 1956 in
Spencer, Iowa Spencer is a city in the state of Iowa, United States, and the county seat of Clay County. It is located at the confluence of the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan rivers. The population was 11,325 in the 2020 census, an increase from 11,317 in 2000. ...
to Ray and Elanor Kunzmann. The family later moved to
Moneta, Iowa Moneta is an unincorporated community in O'Brien County, Iowa, United States. History Moneta was platted in 1901. The name Moneta is supposed to be a poetic form for the island of Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the ...
. Kunzamnn's father died during her childhood, which according to her mother, caused Connie to consume herself in
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
. Kunzmann attended Everly High School in
Everly, Iowa Everly is a city in Clay County, Iowa, United States. The population was 575 in the 2020 census, a decline from 647 in 2000. The Ocheyedan River flows to the south and west of the city. Famous people born here include Vern Fear. History Everl ...
. She played on the school's
six-on-six basketball Six-on-six basketball or basquette is a largely archaic variant of basketball, usually played by women and girls. It is played with the same rules as regular basketball, with the following exceptions: #Teams have six players each instead of five; ...
team from 1971 to 1974. During her sophomore season, Kunzmann led the all state six-on-six players in steals. She was named ''
The Des Moines Register ''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa. History Early period The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cabin by the junctio ...
'' All-Iowa Second Team following her junior season. After playing her first three seasons at
guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...
, Everly's principal Larry Johnson suggested she switch to
forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...
. She led her team in scoring that season with 34
points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by nu ...
. She was named to the ''
Sioux City Journal The ''Sioux City Journal'' is the daily newspaper and website of Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1864, the publication now covers northwestern Iowa and portions of Nebraska and South Dakota. The Journal has won numerous state, regional and nation ...
'' All-Northwest Iowa First Team, the Iowa Daily Press Association All-Iowa Third Team and ''
The Des Moines Register ''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa. History Early period The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cabin by the junctio ...
'' All-Iowa Sixth Team. After graduating high school, Kunzmann enrolled at
Wayne State College Wayne State College is a public college in Wayne, Nebraska. It is part of the Nebraska State College System and enrolls 4,202 students. The college opened as a public normal school in 1910 after the state purchased the private Nebraska Normal Co ...
in
Wayne, Nebraska Wayne is a city in Wayne County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 5,660 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wayne County and the home of Wayne State College. History Wayne was founded in 1881 when the Chicago, St. Paul, Minn ...
. She played for the
Wildcats The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...
women's basketball and
softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...
teams. On February 3, 1975 she scored 33 points in a basketball game against the
Midland University Midland University is a private Lutheran university in Fremont, Nebraska. It has an approximate enrollment of 1,600 students on campus. Known as Midland Lutheran College from 1962 to 2010, the college is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran ...
Warriors. Her points total set a team record for most scored in a single game. She set the record again, with 40 points, during a game on December 6, 1975. She also had 15 rebounds in that game. Norma Boetel, the
South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball The South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball team is part of the athletic program at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. The NCAA Division I team is a member of The Summit League. The Jackrabbits head coach is Aaron ...
head coach, said of Kuzmann in 1976, "Wayne
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is led by Connie Kunzmann, a tall, mobile gal who shoots well, rebounds well and plays fine defense." Kunzmann finished the 1975–76 season with an average of a 20.1 points and 14.4 rebounds per game. Kunzmann broke her ankle sliding into
third base A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
during a Wildcats softball game against the
Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Divis ...
on April 2, 1976. She recovered from her injury in time for the basketball season. On December 30, 1976 she scored 37 points, leading the Wildcats to of 79–69 victory over the
Northern Colorado Bears The Northern Colorado Bears are the athletic teams representing the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado in intercollegiate athletics. The university sponsors seventeen teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, gol ...
in the championship game of the
Chadron State College Chadron State College is a public college in Chadron, Nebraska, US. It is one of three public colleges in the Nebraska State College System. It has open admission and an acceptance rate of 100%. According to College Factual, it has a six-year g ...
Holiday Tournament. Her junior year, Kunzmann was named Wayne State College Athlete of the Year and was named First Team All-Nebraska College Conference in basketball. She averaged 20.4 points and 13.3 rebounds per game during the 1976–77 season. Kunzmann is the career leader for Wayne State in rebounds, with 1,271.


Professional career

Kunzmann signed with the Iowa Cornets of the fledgling
Women's Professional Basketball League The Women's Professional Basketball League (abbreviated WBL) was a professional women's basketball league in the United States. The league played three seasons from the fall of 1978 to the spring of 1981. The league was the first professional w ...
(WBL) in 1978. Her professional debut came on December 1 in a preseason game against the
Chicago Hustle The Chicago Hustle was a team in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) from 1978 to 1981. The team's colors were red and blue. History The Hustle played in all three WBL seasons and led the league in attendance each year. The WBL's ina ...
. She went 6-for-6 from the field and 2-for-2 from the
free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the Key (basketball), restricted ...
line, finishing the game with 14 points in the Cornets 114–105 victory. She made the Cornets'
starting lineup In sports, a starting lineup is an official list of the set of players who will participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as ''starters'', whereas the others are ''substitutes'' o ...
during their regular season opener on December 15, against the Minnesota Fillies. Along with other members of the Cornets, Kunzman appeared in the 1979 film ''Scoring'', which starred
Pete Maravich Peter Press Maravich ( ; June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. Maravich was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and raised in ...
. Kunzmann and other Cornets staff and players reported that payroll checks issued to them on March 1, 1980 bounced. The team eventually made good on their payments. The Cornets made it to the WBL Championship Series in 1980, but lost to the
New York Stars New York Stars could refer to: *New York Stars (WBL), a team that played two seasons in the Women's Professional Basketball League before disbanding in 1980 *New York Stars (WFL), a team in the World Football League that relocated in 1974 and becam ...
. In the deciding fourth game of the series, Kunzmann scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. At the end of the season, the Cornets held a banquet at Falbo's Restaurant in Des Moines. Kunzmann was awarded the team's "hustle award". During the off-season, Kunzmann coached a girl's
six-on-six basketball Six-on-six basketball or basquette is a largely archaic variant of basketball, usually played by women and girls. It is played with the same rules as regular basketball, with the following exceptions: #Teams have six players each instead of five; ...
camp in
Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city. ...
along with teammates
Molly Bolin "Machine Gun" Molly Bolin (born Monna Lea Van Benthuysen; November 13, 1957) is a retired American basketball player who mainly played for the Women's Professional Basketball League. Although her accomplishments for the most part went unrecognized ...
,
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and
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. The Corents went through a tumultuous off-season as players and staff publicly aired their grievances against the team's general manager, Rod Lein. The Cornets head coach,
Steve Kirk Stephen David Kirk (born 3 January 1963) is a Scottish former professional Football (association), footballer who played for East Fife F.C., East Fife, Stoke City F.C., Stoke City, Partick Thistle F.C., Partick Thistle, Motherwell F.C., Mother ...
, and two other staff members resigned because they did not want to work under Lien. He eventually resigned as general manager, but not before Kunzmann announced her intention to follow Kirk to his new team, the Nebraska Wranglers. She started the 1980–81 season coming off the bench for the Wranglers. Following her death in 1981, the WBL named an award after Kunzmann. Sybil Blalock of the New Orleans Pride won the inaugural Connie Kunzmann Hustle and Harmony Award.


Death and subsequent events

Kunzmann was reported missing by a coach for her team, the Nebraska Wranglers, on February 7, 1981. She was last seen the night before at Tiger Tom's Bar in Omaha. Police were soon investigating her disappearance as a
homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...
. An arrest warrant was issued for Lance Edward Tibke, who was with Kunzmann at the bar the night she disappeared. Absent a body, police asserted that Tibke took Kunzmann to
Dodge Park N.P. Dodge Memorial Park, or simply Dodge Park, is a recreational area located at 11001 John J. Pershing Drive in North Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Located on the Missouri River, the park provides fishing, water skiing, and boating, as well ...
, where the two got into an argument that led to her murder. Police believed her body was dumped in the Missouri River. Tibke turned himself in to police and confessed that he killed Kunzmann, but claimed it was in self-defense. He was charged with
second degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
. At his
arraignment Arraignment is a formal reading of a criminal charging document in the presence of the defendant, to inform them of the charges against them. In response to arraignment, the accused is expected to enter a plea. Acceptable pleas vary among jurisd ...
, Tibke waived his right to a
preliminary hearing Within some criminal justice, criminal justice systems, a preliminary hearing, preliminary examination, preliminary inquiry, evidentiary hearing or probable cause hearing is a proceeding, after a criminal complaint has been filed by the prosecuto ...
and his bond was set at $15,000, which was posted. The
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
article on Kunzmann's death was published in a number of newspapers across the United States. The Nebraska Wranglers postponed a game they were scheduled to play on February 10 against the
Chicago Hustle The Chicago Hustle was a team in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) from 1978 to 1981. The team's colors were red and blue. History The Hustle played in all three WBL seasons and led the league in attendance each year. The WBL's ina ...
. The team released the following statement: The Wranglers returned to the court on February 12, donning black arm bands on their jerseys in memory of Kunzmann. The team went on to win the WBL Championship that season. In 2010,
Holly Warlick Frances Hollingsworth "Holly" Warlick (born June 11, 1958) is an American college basketball coach who was head coach for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. She replaced head coach Pat Summitt prior to the 2012–13 season and held the position unt ...
was asked about Kunzmann's death. The two played for the Wranglers and shared a room in Omaha. Warling said:
Nebraska State Patrol The Nebraska State Patrol is Nebraska's only statewide full-service law enforcement agency. Serving Nebraska since 1937, State Patrol troopers perform a wide variety of duties. Those include working with communities to improve public safety, enf ...
utilized a
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
and diving unit in the search for Kunzmann's body. The search was called off on February 11 due to freezing temperatures and floating ice chunks in the river. They resumed the search of February 17, but the Douglas County Sheriffs Department announced that if her body was not found by the end of the day the search would be permanently suspended. Police announced the following day they had discovered a blood stained jacket, believed to be Kunzmann's, at the Springwell Cemetery. After the police ended their search for Kunzmann, her family turned to
psychic A psychic is a person who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws, ...
Greta Alexander for help. Kunzmann's funeral service was held on March 6 at Hope Lutheran Church in Everly, Iowa. On March 28, her body was found snagged on a fallen branch in the Missouri River by two teenage brothers. The body was located midway between the Mormon Bridge and Dodge Park. An
autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...
was performed by Dr. Jerry Jones, which determined the cause of death was
blunt force trauma Blunt trauma, also known as blunt force trauma or non-penetrating trauma, is physical traumas, and particularly in the elderly who fall. It is contrasted with penetrating trauma which occurs when an object pierces the skin and enters a tissue ...
, likely caused by a
tire iron A tire iron (also tire lever or tire spoon) is a specialized metal tool used in working with tires. Tire irons have not been in common use for automobile tires since the shift to the use of tubeless tires in the late 1950s. Bicycle tire irons ...
. The body also had numerous stab wounds, which Jones concluded did not lead to Kunzmann's death. On April 2, a grave-side service for Kunzmann was held at Lone Tree Cemetery in Everly. Her
headstone A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a stele or marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. It is traditional for burials in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions, among others. In most cases, it has the deceased's name, da ...
reads, "Gone to be an angel ..The world was better because you lived." It also features a cross, a
smiley face A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such a ...
and a silhouette of Kunzmann playing basketball with "W.B.L Pro #44" etched under it. Tibke's defense attorney filed a motion to make his confession inadmissible, but they were unsuccessful. Evidence emerged that three police officers responded to Tibke's house the night after the murder at the request of his father, Edward Tibke, who was a member of the Omaha Police Department. On June 16, Tibke entered a guilty plea to the second degree murder charge and was taken back into police custody. He was sentenced to 10 to 40 years in prison on July 10 by Douglas County District Judge Paul Hickman. During an interview with sports columnist
Ira Berkow Ira Berkow (born January 7, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American sports reporter, columnist, and writer. He shared the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, which was awarded to the staff of ''The New York Times'' for their series ''How ...
in 1982, Tibke was asked about Kunzmann's murder, stating, "I began to pound her and pound her. She said, 'Stop it, stop it, stop it. Please don't.' But I couldn't stop. I don't know why. She was a nice girl. I didn't have anything against her." Tibke was
parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...
d from the
Nebraska State Penitentiary The Nebraska State Penitentiary (NSP) is a state correctional facility for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Located in Lincoln, it is the oldest state correctional facility in Nebraska, opening in 1869. Until after World War I, ...
on June 25, 1990 after serving only nine years of his sentence. In 1986, Kunzmann was posthumously inducted into the Wayne State College Athletic Hall of Fame. Every WBL player, including Kunzmann, was inducted into the
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's bask ...
"Trailblazers of the Game" wing in 2018.


Notes


See also

*
List of basketball players who died during their careers This is a list of notable basketball players who died while still on a team roster or as a free agent. A majority died of accidents such as car or plane crashes. Some suffered sudden cardiac death, which has a higher incidence in basketball among y ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunzmann, Connie 1956 births 1981 deaths 1981 murders in the United States American murder victims American women's basketball players Basketball players from Iowa Female murder victims Deaths by beating in the United States People from Spencer, Iowa People murdered in Nebraska Wayne State Wildcats athletes Women's Professional Basketball League players