Marengo, murder capitol of Iowa

There's been another murder involving a Marengo resident. Chris Vogt allegedly (they teach us in journalism school to always say allegedly, because he's innocent until proven guilty, only in this case I probably don't have to say it because he is dead now, too) shot and killed his former girlfriend on Friday, then shot and wounded her brother and another man in Cedar Rapids. Then he committed suicide.

I knew Chris briefly, in that small town way everyone knows everyone else. He worked at the auto service shop across the street from the newspaper office for a few years. His mom worked at one of the Amana wineries with my mother-in-law. Chris had served time in the correctional system several years ago, so was not allowed to own a firearm. There is much speculation where he got the gun.

This is the third murder in or near Marengo of current or former Marengo residents by Marengo residents since June 2009. Guess it's actually the fourth, since Chris killed himself. That's four people dead, all involving relationships gone wrong with spouses/ex-spouses/boyfriends/girlfriends in a town of barely 2,000 people.

That's the only saving grace. They were all domestic cases with very specific targets, not random shootings. At least there isn't a mass murderer running around Marengo.

But I'm not going to drink the water there anymore.