Justin Michael: ‘Dateline NBC’ Spotlights Murder Of Grimes, Iowa, Man Who Was Found Dead In His Own Bed
The murder of Justin Michael by his fiancee’s ex boyfriend, David Moffitt, is the latest story to be featured on an all-new Dateline NBC. Dateline NBC viewers have been waiting for a new episode all summer and are excited to see the new fall line-up. Tonight’s show will examine the strange case of Justin Michael, a 30-year-old man who was shot to death in his own bedroom as his girlfriend/fiancee slept nearby. Today, David Moffitt is serving his life sentence in an Iowa correctional facility.
The killing happened in May, 2014, at around 3:00 a.m. That’s when police got the call that someone was hurt at a residence located at 409 SE Jacob Street in Grimes, Iowa, according to KCCI. Angie Ver Huel, a local teacher and the girlfriend of Justin Michael, told police that they were lying in bed, and that Justin Michael had drifted off to sleep when an assailant arrived and gunned him down in bed. Luckily, Angie Ver Huel was not hurt in the bizarre attack.
As investigators took to the streets to search for the unnamed assailant, all sorts of ideas arose in the minds of the neighbors. It was believed that it could have been a burglary or a robbery gone wrong. It was even suggested that Justin Michael had been ambushed by drug dealers, though no one knew why he would be a target.
A car crash not far from the scene of the crime would give investigators the answer they needed to know. The person involved in the accident was a 26-year-old man named David Moffitt, the ex-boyfriend of Angie Ver Huel. Law enforcement officials also learned that Justin Michael worked at the Wells Fargo in the same department as David Moffitt.
Moffitt was eventually arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors say that Moffitt killed Justin Michael out of revenge. A growing jealousy inside the man had brewed until he came up with the plan to kill the man who was now going to marry Angie.
Friends and family members say that Justin was a bright young man — a very friendly guy who everyone liked to be around. Community members in the city of Grimes were left shocked that something like this could happen in their community. Grimes is the kind of town where most neighbors feel safe. Just after the murder, Polk County Police had to reassure community members that it was an isolated event, and not the work of a robber in the community.
Team members at the Wells Fargo were also devastated to learn of the tragic events that took Michael’s life. They were even more troubled that one of their own had been involved in the fatal shooting, according to WHO-TV.
For a more in depth explanation of the fatal shooting case of Justin Michael and David Moffitt, tune in to Dateline NBC episode “The Shadow” tonight at 9/8 central. The tease is below. For further reading, check out Inquisitr‘s Dateline NBC report featuring the murder case of Michelle Mockbee and missing teens Amber Dubois and Chelsea King.
“A young Iowa man is shot dead in his bed in the middle of the night, asleep next to his fiancée. Who would want him dead — and why? Bizarre coincidences and quick thinking help lead to a surprising answer.”
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