Police in Iowa discovered a rather harrowing sight recently.
According to reports, they found a black man’s burning corpse inside a roadside ditch. And now, 4 people receive charges in connection to the terrifying crime.
Meanwhile, police identified the corpse as 44-year- old, Michael Williams. He was a resident from Grinnell in Iowa. The exact location pinned by authorities included the vicinity near Kellogg.
The culprits for the case included three men, alongside one woman. They were arrested in relation to the 44-year-old Black man’s death. Today, Iowa’s Division at the Criminal Investigation is calling the incident as a homicide.
On the other hand, Iowa state cops reported that there was no evidence yet to suggest racism. And that meant they couldn’t bring forward any race-related death connection.
One of the main culprits arrested, Steven Vogel, is now facing intense charges for the first degree of murder as well as abuse. In particular, he’s charged with corpse abuse. All the facts and figures relating to the news came from Iowa’s Department for Public Safety.
Vogel is serving his sentence at Marshall County’s Jail. However, it’s surprising he was already serving there. This is on accounts related to other charges. Other people arrested included Julia Cox, another 55-year-old female. Cody Johnson, 29, alongside Ree Garner,57, is also among the crowd. Surprisingly, they all belong to Grinnell.
Both Cox, as well as Garner, received charges for counts relating to corpse abuse as well as the destruction of the evidence. Let’s not forget that aggravated misdemeanor was also a major part of it all. Johnson received charges for corpse abuse and aggravated misdemeanor too. Today, all three reside at Powshiek’s County jail.
A recent statement showed how the victim knew Vogel. Moreover, the pair socialized often within a similar group of friends. But how exactly did police find the victim’s body?
Reports confirm how emergency officials identified a burning object from a distance. And that’s when they concluded that it was in fact a human body. Similarly, examination at the scene caused investigators to conclude death by homicide.