Missouri cattle farmer charged in death of missing Wisconsin brothers, updated with court documents

by | Oct 23, 2019

A Braymer cattle farmer was charged Wednesday with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of two missing brothers from Wisconsin. Police found human remains on Nelson’s farm Northeast of Kansas City, Missouri. Court documents show Nelson reported the bodies, which were inside a 55-gallon barrel.

Caldwell County Sheriff Jerry Galloway announced the murder charges against 25-year-old Garland “Joey” Nelson Wednesday during a news conference.

Judge Jason Alfred Kanoy ordered Nelson to be held without bond because he “poses a flight risk and a danger to community.”

Brothers Nick and Justin Diemel, who owned a livestock business in Wisconsin, were reported missing July 21 after renting a truck and traveling to Nelson’s farm in northwestern Missouri to deal with a financial issue with Nelson. Afterward, Nelson was charged with tampering with the brothers’ vehicle by driving to a commuter parking lot and leaving it there.

Nelson is also charged in Caldwell County with two counts of abandonment of a corpse, two counts of tampering with physical evidence in felony prosecution, two counts of armed criminal action, tampering with a motor vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Missourinet has obtained the probable cause statement from the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, listing the evidence that led to the allegations against Nelson.
As stated in the probable cause affidavit:
A. Burnt human remains were found and collected by Law enforcement that were concealed in the
manure pile on the property at 3321 SECatawba Rd. in Braymer Missouri.
B. Based on DNA comparisons it is believed they are the remains of Nicholas and Justin Diemel.
C. A blood stain found on clothing belonging to Garland Joseph Nelson has been confirmed by
DNA to be Nicholas Diemel.
D. Two metal barrels were found near the location where the remains were discovered and were
crushed as described by Nelson.
E. A neighbor to 3321 SE Catawba Rd heard what was described as the sound of multiple
gunshots coming from the direction of 3321 SE Catawba Rd. in Braymer on 07/21/2019 in the
approximate time frame of 11:15am to 11:30am. This being the time when Garland Nelson
admitted he, Nicholas and Justin Diemel were present in the close proximity of one another on
the property prior to Nelson leaving at approximately 11 :45am with the Diemel’s rental vehicle
to abandon it in Holt Missouri.
F. A fired 30-30 caliber cartridge was located in the clothing belonging to Nelson. the clothing
also had blood stain on it that contains Nicholas Diemel’s DNA evidence.
G. 30-30 caliber ammunition was found in the vehicle belonging to Garland Joseph Nelson.
H. The shovel as stated as being used by Nelson to clean the dirt floor where it is believed blood
was located was discovered.
Electronically Filed – Caldwell – October 23, 2019 – 08:42 AM


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