Embezzler Missing, Van Destroyed In Fiery Crash
(Mar. 24, Iowa City, IA) Iowa City police received an anonymous phone call at approximately 6:30 CDT this morning instructing them to go to a residence on the east side of this university town. The first officers on the scene at 629 Barrington Road discovered the house to be unlocked. The bodies of a woman and four children were found within the residence. The family mini van and the apparent husband and father of those slain within, Steve Sueppel, were both missing. Sueppel, a 42 year old vice president of a local bank was indicted on numerous federal charges last month including embezzlement, money laundering and various drug charges.
While local and state authorities began searching for the Sueppel minivan and Mr. Sueppel, a van matching the description of the Sueppel's was involved in a single vehicle accident on Interstate 80 approximately 9 miles from the Sueppel home. Law enforcement officials were reluctant to positively identify the wrecked van because its crash sparked a very volatile fire that burned the vehicle and any potential human remains beyond on-scene identification. Until such positive matches are made, the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations will neither confirm nor deny Mr. Sueppel was the van’s driver.
Steve Sueppel was a Vice President at the Hills Bank and Trust, a local financial institution, for the last 7 years. In February, he allegedly confessed to embezzling over $500,000 over the course of his employment at the bank. He also allegedly confessed to using some of the pilfered funds to purchase cocaine. Mr. Sueppel was also the son of a prominent local attorney, one of the partners at Meardon, Sueppel and Downer in Iowa City.
Scant details have been released thus far by law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation. For the time being, neighbors and friends are expressing disbelief.
EDITORIAL NOTE: The Brooding Cynyx have several correspondents located in the Iowa City area who will be providing exclusive, detailed reports in the up coming hours.
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