Last month, Steven Vogel was convicted of both first-degree murder and the abuse of a corpse by an all-white jury after the Iowa man was accused of killing Michael Williams, 44, and later leaving the Black man’s remains to burn in a ditch, the Iowa Public Radio reported. At a Poweshiek County sentencing hearing earlier this week, Vogel was reportedly given life in prison for the crime with no possibility of parole, with a local judge referring to the white man as a “dangerous cold-blooded killer.”
He was handed an additional five-year sentence for the abuse of a corpse charge.
Testimony during the trial reportedly claimed that Vogel beat Williams on his head before hanging him. According to the Iowa Public Radio, after Williams was dead, the 32-year-old allegedly kept his remains for days and later transported him to a ditch and set his body on fire.
My latest for @IowaPublicRadio on the horrific murder of Michael Williams, a man who lived in Grinnell and is remembered by his family as a loving father and grandfather.
Content warning for this story, there are references to graphic violence: https://t.co/5UFcKVN2uX
— Kate Payne (@hellokatepayne) December 15, 2021
The outlet also reported that Judge Shawn Showers harshly condemned Vogel over the brutal murder and stated that Williams was strangled to death after being struck over the head. “You treated Michael Williams like he was not human. You clubbed him. Strangled him to death,” Showers reportedly stated during the sentencing. “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.”
The passionate judge added, “Mr. Vogel, you’re why Iowa has life without the possibility of parole. You don’t deserve to be on the streets. You don’t deserve to see a parole board. 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.”
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According to CBS News, trial testimony showed that Vogel told others he committed the crime due to jealousy and a love triangle with his girlfriend.
Though investigators reportedly couldn’t confirm that the killing was racially-motivated, Williams’ family believes otherwise. According to the Iowa Public Radio, his aunt, Paula Terrell, referred to his death as a “lynching,” adding, “And even if the motive was about a white woman, all due respect, think of people like Emmett Till. He died for looking at a white woman. Not touching her, just looking at her. So yeah, we stand firm in that we believe it’s a hate crime.”
