Thursday, March 28, 2024

Four Charged in Murder of Black Man Found Burning in Iowa Ditch [VIDEO]


*Four people have been arrested and charged in connection with the killing of Michael Ronnell Williams, a Black man whose body was found burning in a ditch in rural Iowa on September 16.

According to Iowa authorities, his death was “not a random act of violence.”

Williams was reportedly strangled at a home and his body dumped in rural Kellogg. He knew at least one of the suspects, Steven Vogel, 31, for years. 

Vogel has been charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse. The other suspects, Julia Cox, 55, Roy Garner, 57, and Cody Johnson, 29, face charges for abuse of a corpse, destruction of evidence, and accessory after the fact, per CNN.

The president of the local NAACP chapter said “We understand the fear this kind of incident evokes.”

READ MORE: Diauntae Morrow Gets Candid About Iowa Sports Program on ‘Necessary Roughness’ Podcast / LISTEN

Four suspects have been arrested in the killing of Michael Williams in Grinnell

Iowa DCI Special Agent Adam DeCamp said during a press conference on Tuesday that “no evidence has been found to show the acts against Michael Williams were motivated by his race.”

“Our mission from the very beginning and that will continue is to bring justice for Mike and Justice for his family,” said Grinnell Police Chief Dennis Reilly. “I just want to be clear to say: This was not a random act of violence. Those responsible for this heinous act knew each other.”

Williams’ death as been ruled a homicide by the medical examiner. The evidence is “consistent with strangulation,” DeCamp said.

“He was a family person,” said Williams’ ex-wife Janalee Boldt, with whom he shares five children. “His kids were always important,” she told CNN affiliate KCCI.

“My daughter will not let me outside in the dark by myself because she’s afraid of losing another parent,” Boldt added. 

“Given that the current climate where racial justice is on the front burner for so many … we understand the fear this kind of incident evokes,” Andrews said.

“If there is something there, then we need to identify and address it. If there is not something there, we need to make sure that we have that clarity, as well. Any time there is a concern about the possibility of a racist act, that’s where we are,” Andrews added.

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