A white Iowa man has been sentenced to life in jail for the grotesque homicide of a person he generally known as ‘Black Mike.’
32-year-old Steven Vogel was convicted of first-degree homicide and abuse of a corpse within the 2020 demise of Michael Williams, a 44-year-old acquaintance who had apparently gotten romantically concerned with Vogel’s ex-girlfriend. Vogel allegedly clubbed Williams over the top earlier than hanging him for roughly 5-6 minutes, inflicting him to die by strangulation.
In line with Folks, Vogel stored his sufferer’s physique in his basement for 4 days earlier than disposing of him with the help of his buddy, Cody Johnson, his mom Julia Cox and her boyfriend Roy Garner.
All three had been charged with destroying proof of the killing, whereas Cox and Garner had been additionally charged with abusing a corpse, the Des Moines Register studies.
Authorities found Williams’ physique on Sep. 16, 2020 whereas investigating a fireplace in a ditch. Upon placing the hearth out, they discovered the charred stays wrapped in plastic and material and sure with duct tape and cord.
Throughout his trial, witnesses testified that Vogel had been bragging about killing Williams out of jealousy, sharing particulars of a love triangle involving his girlfriend.
Earlier than handing down Vogel’s sentence, which doesn’t embrace the potential for parole, Choose Shawn Showers condemned him as a “cold-blooded killer” who doesn’t should be on the road.
“You handled Michael Williams like he was not human,” Showers mentioned. “You clubbed him. Strangled him to demise. Saved him in your basement like an animal that you’d kill. You wrapped up his physique, set it on hearth. And also you dehumanized Michael Williams. And Mr. Williams didn’t deserve that.”
Regardless of all 4 of the folks concerned in Williams’ homicide being white, the Iowa-Nebraska chapter of the NAACP agreed with prosecutors that race didn’t appear to be an element on this case.
Williams’ household, nonetheless, disagrees.
“The love curiosity on this love triangle had been with a number of different folks previous to alleging to be with my nephew,” mentioned his aunt Paula Terrell. “These folks weren’t murdered. Why kill ‘Black Mike,’ as he was referred to by the defendant? Why did he should kill Black Mike? It was a lynching.”
Nonetheless, the household is happy with the final word consequence and Vogel’s sentence.
