Man Brutally Murders Girlfriend's New Lover

Steven Vogle beat Michael Williams to death, hanged the man, and then threw his body in a ditch where he lit it afire after his girlfriend ended their relationship so she could date Williams. Vogle later said he acted in rage. He’ll spend the rest of his life in prison after a court sentenced him on first-degree murder in December 2021, one-year post crime.

Body Found

Williams' body was found in Kellogg, Iowa, on September 16, 2020, when concerned citizens called police reporting a fire in a ditch. Police found Williams’ body after extinguishing the flames, his remains wrapped in plastic and cloth, then bound with duct tape and rope.

The Medical Examiner later confirmed the charred remains found at the scene belonged to Michael Williams. His death was ruled a homicide caused by strangulation.

Vogel Arrested for Williams’ Murder

Days before the murder, Vogel sent Facebook messages to a friend suggesting he was jealous of Williams and wanted to kill him. Vogel and Willams had known each other for several years before the incident.

Witnesses told police that Vogel admitted to the murder, saying that on or about September 12, 2020, he became jealous over a love triangle involving Williams. Enraged, Vogel claimed to have “clubbed” Williams before he strangled him to death with the rope.

“Black Mike,” as Vogel called Williams, had been seeing a girl that he had also dated.

Vogel stored Williams’ body in the basement of his Grinnell, Iowa home until September 16 when he discarded it and set the body on fire.

Three Others Charged in Murder

Three other people were charged with accessory to murder, including Vogel’s mother, Julia Cox, her boyfriend, Roy Garner; and Cody Johnson, a friend of Vogel’s.

The M.E. would go on to testify at trial that Williams was strangled by being hanged by a rope for about five-to-six minutes, the time it took him to die.

Judge Says Vogel “Doesn’t Deserve” a Parole Hearing

During Vogel’s sentencing, Judge Shawn Showers sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole, saying that he never again should be on the streets or meet a parole board.

"These sentences are made for people like you who commit these horrific offenses and take others' lives without any regard for consequences," Showers said. "You are a dangerous cold-blooded killer. You'll have the rest of your life to think about what you did, the loss and the pain that you caused, and the precious life that you ended."

He added:

"You treated Michael Williams like he was not human. You clubbed him. Strangled him to death. Kept him in your basement like an animal that you would kill. You wrapped up his body, set it on fire. And you dehumanized Michael Williams. And Mr. Williams did not deserve that."

Not a Hate Crime

Williams’s family initially believed race played a part in the murder since their son was Black and Vogel is white and due to the nature of the murder. However, prosecutors did not think race played a role in the murder nor did they think it was a hate crime. Instead, they think jealousy set off Vogel, resulting in the loss of life. Despite the initial feelings, the Williams family was happy with the outcome of the case." The justice system worked here," said James Byrd-Williams, Williams' father. "I'm satisfied."

My Thoughts

My condolences to the Williams family.

Love is a crazy thing but never worth murdering someone or spending the rest of your life behind bars.

Resources & Additional Information:

https://people.com/crime/4-charged-after-black-mans-burning-body-is-found-in-iowa-ditch/

https://news.yahoo.com/m-holding-myself-back-father-133000349.html