Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Personal Injury Law Blogs -> Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal Injury Law

: Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer

Parkersburg, Iowa and the Murder of Coach Ed Thomas - Just the Facts

By Steve Lombardi

Coach Ed Thomas, 34 seasons at A-P High, 16 playoff appearances, six state title games appearances and 2 championships, in the playoffs 19 times, 4 players in the NFL, (Paul Rhoads, Brad ) He also was the school's athletic director and boys' track coach and helped dozens of student-athletes continue their careers in college. He taught social studies, taught student driving, was the founder of the towns youth flag football, an elder at the First Congregational Church, a husband, father and grandfather.

Age: 58

Suspect: Mark Daryl Becker, 24, former player on football team from 2003 – 2004. DOB: 06/03/1985. (Shown on Iowa Court's Online.) Suspects location in the days previous to incident was a Waterloo Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Unknown if notification given to interested parties upon release from custody.

Charges: First degree murder.

Motive: As of June 25, 2009 none yet determined. Insanity defense is a definite possibility.

Allegations: Shot dead by a former high school player.

Location: Parkersburg, Iowa in Butler County, Iowa.

School district – Aplington-Parkersburg High School the Falcons

Victim: Ed Thomas

Location: Red building just off the football field used as a weight room.

Witnesses: A room full of high school football players.

Coach Thomas NFL Success Stories: Named the NFL's 2005 high school coach of the year, Ed Thomas amassed a 292-84 record and two state titles in 37 seasons as a head coach—34 of them at Aplington-Parkersburg. He coached several players who went on to the NFL, including Green Bay Packers linebacker Aaron Kampman, Jacksonville Jaguars center Brad Meester, Detroit Lions defensive end Jared DeVries, and Denver Broncos center Casey Wiegmann.

Speaking for the family: Aaron Thomas

Significant Current Events in Parkersburg Area: Tornado – The EF5 tornado destroyed 200 homes and caused more than $100 million in damage on May 25, 2008. Six people from the town died in Iowa's deadliest tornado since 1968.

Tornado destroys Parkersburg, Iowa home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiHJ5J7ulOU

Iowa DCI – Kevin Winker, DCI Assistant Director, contact information on DCI website home page, including telephone numbers. Mailing address is Iowa Department of Public Safety, 215 East 7th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319. You can sign up for DPS email notifications.

Local Law Enforcement: Parkersburg Police Department, Chief is Chris Luhring,

Directions to Parkersburg Police Department and the contact information is phone: (319) 346-2422 and fax: (319) 346-2262 and 505 Coates Street, Parkersburg, Iowa.

Driving Direction GPS Coordinates: 42.577324 -92.787399

Parkersburg City Hall: Phone: 319-246-2262 CITY HALL, Clerk - Gary Hinders

Assistant Clerk - Jan Thomas Phone 319-346-2262 fax 319-346-2114

Email: GHSHinders@yahoo.com

Parkersburg Government Website - http://www.parkersburgiowa.info/contacts.php

Parkersburg Economic Development - Virgil Goodrich, Director
608 Hwy 57, P.O. Box 489, Parkersburg, IA 50665
Phone: 319-346-1023 Fax: 319-346-2114
Email: pedofc@mchsi.com

Parkersburg Demographics –

Zip Code – 50665

Zip code population (2000): 2,950
Estimated zip code population in 2007: 2,888

Ancestries: German (57.2%), Dutch (7.1%), Irish (7.0%), English (5.3%), United States (5.2%), Danish (3.9%).

Current Local Time: AMCST time zone

Incorporated on 12/7/1874

Elevation: 998 feet

Land area: 1.14 square miles.

Population density: 1618 people per square mile

(low).

Police Station Address: 505 COATES STREET, Parkersburg, IA 50665

County: BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA

Butler County Courthouse, 428 Sixth Street , P.O. Box 307, Allison, IA 50602

Telephone: (319) 267-2670 Fax: (319 ) 267-2625 E-mail: strepp@butlercoiowa.org Butler County Attorney's Office Butler County Courthouse 428 Sixth Street P.O. Box 307 Allison, IA 50602 Telephone: (319) 267-2521 Fax: (319) 267-2521 Email: attorney@butlercoiowa.org Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. except Fridays then till 10:00 a.m.
Court Schedule
	District Court:	Alternating Mondays
	Magistrate Court:	Wednesday mornings
	Please call 319-267-2521 for an appointment when possible Iowa Courts Online – Engage the 'Start A Case Search Here!' button. Then go to 'Case Search' under Trial Court. Then enter last name and first and middle name or initial.

News Sources:

The Des Moines Register

KCCI TV-8, KCCI Kate Ward reporter along with Andy Garman

Iowa Court's Online – Mark Daryl Becker, DOB: 06/03/1985.

Significant Events Reported by Register:

June 25, 2009

The EF5 tornado destroyed 200 homes and caused more than $100 million in damage on May 25, 2008. Six people from the town died in Iowa's deadliest tornado since 1968.

Thomas remembered as 'a good coach, but a better role model'

Thomas draws many fans to vigil, June 25, 2009

Photo: Parkersburg vigil Wednesday night, June 24, 2009

Statement from Thomas family on the death of Ed Thomas, June 24, 2009

Ed Thomas shooting: More about suspect Mark Becker , June 24, 2009

Ed Thomas shooting: More about suspect Mark Becker, June 24, 2009. Includes mug shot, no. 3698.

Breaking news: The latest updates on the Ed Thomas shooting, June 24, 2009 – contains a time line

KCCI-TV-8

KCCI 8 Video of High School Coach Shot by Former Player

( http://www.kcci.com/video/19849519/index.html )

LIVE VIDEO: Coach's Son To Talk At News Conference ...starts 4 pm June 24, 2009

Jun 24, 2009

RAW VIDEO: News Conference On Coach's Shooting

from KCCI.com - Local News

School officials and law enforcement talk about a shooting at an Iowa high school.

Legal Issues:

Criminal Issues to Consider:

Venue of any criminal trial – Will the defense more for a change of venue due to pretrial publicity.

Butler County Courthouse

Prosecutor – undetermined.

Defense Lawyer - undetermined.

Insanity defense – Will it be asserted?

Civil Issues to Consider: What duty to warn does a psychiatrist, doctor and law enforcement official have to a likely targeted victim of a violent act?

Caveat: All information comes from major news, government or other recognized online news sources and has not been independently confirmed or verified.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on June 25, 2009 (boomark / email).