(CNN)A Black man whose burning body was found in a ditch in rural Iowa has been identified as a local grandfather.
Just after 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16, authorities received a report of a fire in a roadside ditch near Kellogg. Responding personnel found an active fire and, after extinguishing it, they discovered a body.
The dead man has been identified as 44-year-old Michael Williams, of Grinnell, Iowa, authorities said. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement it is treating his death as a homicide.
Janalee Boldt, Williams' ex-wife and the mother of his children, spoke to CNN affiliate KCCI about her ex-husband. "He was a family person," she said. "His kids were always important."
Williams, who was also a grandfather, had five children with Boldt. Two of them, Jameka and Michael, told KCCI they used to take walks with their father. "Sometimes we sat on the bench to stop and rest," Jameka said. "My favorite memory about him is always making me laugh."
Boldt told KCCI she is trying to hold it together for her kids. "My daughter will not let me outside in the dark by myself because she's afraid of losing another parent," Boldt said.
The family made "Justice for Michael" shirts using a logo designed by his son, who made sure to use purple -- his dad's favorite color. "I miss him," Michael told KCCI.
more:
http://www.cnn.com/2020/09/22/us/man-found-dead-iowa-ditch-trnd/index.html
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