Steven Vogel, 32, was also convicted of abuse of a corpse in the death of Michael Williams, 44.
On Tuesday, an Iowa man was convicted of first-degree murder for killing a man last year and then burning his body in a ditch.
Steven Vogel, 32, was also convicted of abuse of a corpse in the death of Michael Williams, 44. Williams’ body was found burning in a rural Jasper County ditch on Sept. 16, 2020. after it had been wrapped in cloth, plastic and carpet.
Authorities ruled the cause of death as strangulation and believe he died on Sept. 12, 2020, and then his body was moved and set on fire on Sept. 16, 2020. A witness reportedly saw a truck on the scene, according to court documents obtained by CBS News.
According to testimony at trial, Vogel told witnesses that he killed Williams out of jealousy over a "love triangle" with Vogel's girlfriend, CBS News reported.
The three other suspects— Julia Cox, Roy Garner and Cody Johnson — were charged with destroying evidence in the case, while Garner and Cox were accused of abusing Williams’ corpse as well and helping move his body.
Vogel’s attorneys maintained that the killing wasn’t premeditated and the case lacked DNA evidence to prove Vogel’s guilt.
