Four People Arrested After Black Man’s Body Found Burning In Ditch In Iowa; One Of The Suspects Knew The Victim

Four people have been arrested after a Black man’s body was found burning in a ditch in rural Iowa.

According to CNN, last Wednesday, around 5:30 p.m., authorities received a report of a fire in a roadside ditch near the city of Kellogg in central Iowa. After officials came and put out the fire, a body was discovered. Reports show the body belonged to Michael Williams, 44, of Grinnell, authorities said.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety said that one of the people connected to Williams’ murder was arrested and jailed over unrelated charges, but he is now facing charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse. “The investigation has revealed no evidence to show the acts against Michael Williams were motivated by his race nor that his death was the result of a hate crime,” according to a statement from the Department of Public Safety.

CNN reports via information from authorities that the man in jail and the victim knew each other. The investigation revealed that Williams was murdered on or about September 12 in Grinnell. The body was then wrapped in cloth and plastic, tied with rope and tape, and then taken to Kellogg on September 16, where the murderers set the body on fire. According to officials, the three other suspects will face charges of abuse of a corpse, destruction of evidence, and accessory after the fact.

Williams’ ex-wife and mother of his children, Janalee Boldt, said that Williams was a “family person” and that his “his kids were always important.” Boldt added that her daughter has been traumatized by her father’s killing. “My daughter will not let me outside in the dark by myself because she’s afraid of losing another parent,” Boldt said.