2 people who helped dispose of Iowa murder victim sentenced

KELLOGG, Iowa (AP) — Two people who helped another person dispose of the body of an Iowa murder victim have been sentenced to prison. The Des Moines Register reports that 56-year-old Julia Cox was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison and 59-year-old Roy Garner was sentenced to nine years for their roles in the September 2020 killing of 44-year-old Michael Williams, of Grinnell. Cox pleaded guilty in December to abuse of a corpse and accessory after the fact. Garner also pleaded guilty to those counts and a count of destroying evidence. Prosecutors say Cox and Garner helped Cox’s son, 33-year-old Steven Vogel, move Williams’ body from the basement of the Grinnell home the three defendants shared. Williams body was found burning in a ditch on Sept. 16, 2020.