GRINNELL, Iowa – Four people are facing multiple charges in the death of a man whose body was found burning in a Jasper County ditch last week.
The body of Michael Williams was later identified, and the investigation led authorities to take four people into custody.
31 year-old Steven Vogel from Grinnell faces charges of First Degree Murder and Abuse of a Corpse.
Three others were charged as accessories to the crime. 55 year-old Julia Cox, 57 year-old Roy Garner, and 29 year-old Cody Johnson each face multiple charges including Abuse of a Corpse and Destruction of Evidence.
Authorities say the cause of Williams' death was strangulation.
The Iowa-Nebraska Chapter of the NAACP concurred with the Grinnell Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation that there's no evidence that Williams' death was racially motivated.
Authorities say the victim and the four people facing charges all ran in the same social circles and knew each other. Investigators say there is no ongoing threat to the public.
(Image from KWQC TV6)