Iowa Love Triangle Turns Deadly, Ending with Burning Body in Ditch | Case of Steven Vogel

In September of 2020, a horrible discovery was made in the small town of Kellogg, Iowa. Firefighters responding to a roadside fire found the charred remains of a man wrapped in cloth and plastic, bound with duct tape and rope. The victim was soon identified as 44-year-old Michael Williams. This week on Love and Murder’s true crime story, we delve into the details of this case, exploring the motives, the suspects, and the questions that still linger.

Michael Williams was a father of five, a man who had moved to Iowa to be closer to his children. His life was cut short, and the investigation that followed revealed a tangled web of relationships and possible racial motivations. Stephen Vogel, a 31-year-old man already in custody for unrelated charges, was soon identified as the prime suspect. Alongside him, three others were charged with various crimes related to the murder and the disposal of Michael’s body.

The prosecution argued that Vogel’s actions were driven by jealousy and anger, stemming from a love triangle involving his girlfriend. Witnesses testified that Vogel had admitted to the murder, and even showed off Michael’s body to acquaintances. The method of the killing—strangulation followed by burning—raised immediate questions about racial motivations, especially given that Michael was Black and Vogel and his accomplices were white.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP both stated that there was no evidence to suggest the crime was racially motivated. However, the brutal nature of the murder and the subsequent handling of Michael’s body led many, including Michael’s father, to believe otherwise. James Williams our right asked, “If this isn’t a lynching, then what was it? This is hate.”

Throughout the trial, the defense did not deny that Vogel had killed Michael but argued that the murder was not premeditated. Despite their claims, the jury found Vogel guilty of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse, sentencing him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The case has sparked discussions about Iowa’s hate crime laws and the broader implications for racial justice.

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This episode of Love and Murder not only retells the horrible details of the case but also invites listeners to think about the complex issues surrounding it. Was this a crime of passion, or was there a racially motivated undercurrent? 

Listen to the full episode now and let us know your thoughts.

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