Iowa Family Killer Left Apologetic Note

Embattled Bank Exec Murdered Wife And Four Kids Before Committing Suicide

(CBS/AP)  Iowa City police say a man who killed his wife and four young children left a note apologizing "several times."

The former bank executive committed suicide by crashing his van after killing his wife and making failed attempts to asphyxiate their four children in a garage, then slaying them individually, authorities said Tuesday.

Steven Sueppel, who had been charged with embezzlement, was missing after his family's bodies were discovered Monday morning. His van was found wrecked and ablaze on Interstate 80 about nine miles away, and police said they used dental records to identify the burned body inside as Sueppel's.

In a news conference Tuesday, investigators said they believe he killed his wife, then tried to kill himself and his children by asphyxiating them with carbon monoxide in the garage. When that failed, he killed the children one by one in the house.

The results show that Sheryl Sueppel and her four children died from blunt force trauma to their upper torsos and heads. Two baseball bats might have been used and were being examined, he said.

"Steven is probably the only one who knew why he did what he did, and I don't know that we're ever going to be able to determine the real reason why this happened," Steffen said.

After the children died, Sueppel tried to drown himself in the Iowa River without success. He then made a 911 call directing officers to his home and a few minutes later crashed into a freeway abutment.

Sueppel left a long note in the family's kitchen addressed to no one in particular. He also left voice mail messages at the family's home, at the bank where he once worked and at the law office of his father and brother.

One of the messages indicated Sueppel believed his family was in heaven, Steffen said.

"He did indicate in his note that ever since his problems came to light that he was having trouble dealing with this issue, but again no specific incident or cause was identified as to why it happened now," Steffen said. "He apologized ... numerous times."

Police identified the children as Ethan, 10; Seth, 8; Mira, 5; and Eleanor, 3.

Their bodies were found throughout the home. Two were in upstairs bedrooms, one in a basement bedroom and another in a basement toy room. Sheryl Sueppel's body was found in the master bedroom.

Steffen said a family friend was the last to see Steven Sueppel and at least one of the children at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Sueppel home. The friend didn't sense any questionable behavior.

Friends of the Sueppel family say the deaths are unbelievable, tragic and devastating.

"I've been numb since I heard the news," Susan Goodner told CBS News affiliate KGAN-TV in Cedar Rapids. "Through the law, through the community service, through service to their church community, they've just been an example of how to be a good citizen."

The 911 call made early Monday alerting police to the family's home at the edge of Iowa City was made from Steven Sueppel's cell phone, police said.

A recording of the call was released Tuesday:

"This is 911. What's the location of your emergency?" the female dispatcher said.

"Hello, am I talking to Iowa City?" the caller responded.

The dispatcher again asks the location.

"Iowa City, Iowa," the man said.

The dispatcher asked for an address.

"629 Barrington Road," the man said. "Please go there immediately."

The dispatcher asked what's going on there and the caller hung up.

About six minutes after the call, more 911 calls poured in to dispatchers, reporting that a minivan had crashed into a concrete abutment in the median of Interstate 80 east of town.

One caller sobbed as she described seeing the burning minivan, which had crashed head-on into the abutment.

"Oh, my God, the car's on fire," the woman sobs. "I was going to stop and help but the car's on fire."

Court records show that Steven Sueppel, 42, was indicted last month on charges of stealing about $560,000 from Hills Bank and Trust in Johnson County, where he was vice president and controller.

He pleaded not guilty to embezzlement and money laundering in U.S. District Court and was released on a $250,000 personal bond. The government was also seeking the forfeiture of the money he was accused of stealing.

His trial was scheduled for April 21.

A funeral for all six family members will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Iowa City, according to Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service. Burial will be at St. Joseph's Cemetery.

"It's just very difficult to believe," says Tom Baldridge, a Sueppel family friend told KGAN-TV. "Steven's mind snapped. He couldn't have gotten into the thought process that would have allowed him to do this if he were rational and sane."

[avemaria12]

Maybe I shouldn''t read these comments, because they truly make me so sad! So many are so misguided out there today! I can''t imagine blaming a person being a Christian on the bad things that happen! If you are out there and have been hurt by someone who believes in Christ, I am sorry! On behalf of Christ, I ask for your forgiveness! I would then ask that you please pause a moment and remember Judus! He was on of Christ''s closest friends. I guess I would say not to "throw the baby out with the bath water" to coin an expression. Yes, this man who did this horrific act was a Christian, but he was a Christian who had a choice to make, and he chose evil. When you choose evil, then you walk in darkness! If you are out there and you do not believe in God because of seeing Christian''s make these evil choices, I have one huge favor to ask, give God a chance! Some day when you are alone, take a chance and get on your knees and ask God to show himself to you! Then open your heart and give HIM a chance! Ignore those who are doing it wrong! If you are right- then you have nothing to loose! If I am right- then you have everything to lose!

[gmond]

This still sounds too much like that Medium plot, I wonder if a female dentist disappeared at the same time this religious family annihilator burned to death with only his teeth for ID.

[fibonacci_]

Nothing is ever just plain evil. It always has to be blamed on Bush or the Christians. That''''s okay, we can take it.

Posted by deemsnyd

- No, life is more complicated than "just plain evil" - we academics like to try to find out why these things happen - their psychological, social, and physiological background. We dont believe "Satan did it".

[soccerad2049]

ok so ur a christian and believe in heaven but come on killing ur children in dat way and then saying u wanted them 2 go 2 heaven?!!!! u must be a real big psycho

[fibonacci_]

There is a story on CNN who found a likeness of Jesus in a cheeto.

[antizion]

Nothing is ever just plain evil. It always has to be blamed on Bush or the Christians. That''''s okay, we can take it.
Posted by deemsnyd at 08:27 PM : Mar 26, 2008

==============

Bush and Christians are just plain evil, not to mention stupid. "Okay" is not a word.

[antizion]

How could you beat your own little girl with a baseball bat? Were all 4 kids adopted? May God have mercy on his soul...but I doubt it.
Posted by kyushujet at 12:51 AM : Mar 27, 2008

Simple, he was into religion. No problem, they are all in heaven. In fact, surely the magical God thing forgave him for stealing from the bank..

Everytime in my life I have been screwed over by someone they all had the same thing in common, religion.

I am sure for ten bucks on Sunday, they were forgiven and all was well until next time.

People with intelligence and thought integrity, do not hurt others or get mixed up in the religion racket.

[sumarongi]

I do not condone killing anyone. I do wonder anyone who is determined to commit suicide would want to take the lives of innocents. Why did that idiot in Pennsylvania decide he needed to kill innocent Amish school girls? There are enough scumbags wandering around out there that would seem to be so much more tempting targets. There are some very unscrupulous individuals in our world that would be much more suitable targets. If you have made up your mind to end your life, why not improve the world a bit. There are some you know that the courts will never touch. Why not take a pedophile or sadistic rapist that got off on a technicality instead of innocent children. As I said, I don''t condone killing, but if you are determined to end it all and desire company in hell, why not make it some real jerk that has done real harm to others?

[kyushujet]

How could you beat your own little girl with a baseball bat? Were all 4 kids adopted? May God have mercy on his soul...but I doubt it.

[providence_-2009]

Embattled Bank Exec Murdered Wife And Four Kids Before Committing Suicide! This is just a heart wrenching story for the relative and the community around them. The poor guy did not have to do this. He could of went to jail for a few years. He does not realize that he created a bigger problem with leaving I gigantic hole in the community. One idea he could of done is to go to http colon slash slash pilgrimswaylighted dot blogspot dot com do not add the www at all. Let me know what you think ok by the voting tab. May God bless the relatives and the people involved in this tragedy.

[newsterl]

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Posted by Tednelson21

Theres that worm and VIRUS site again, waiting for you unsuspecting PC owners to go there to infect it with spy and adware, just click the report abuse button any time that virus site is posted.

[newsterl]

"left a note apologizing "several times."

Oh yes thank you thank you, I feel so much better with that apology!

"he Christian religion made him feel a little better about it - after all, they are only going to heaven.
Posted by fibonacci"

Thats about the extent of it, his beliefs (which some say harms no one) killed 5 people to send them to ''heaven'', this is like the nuts that shoot abortion doctors and blow up clinics to ''save lives''

[deemsnyd]

Nothing is ever just plain evil. It always has to be blamed on Bush or the Christians. That''s okay, we can take it.

[deemsnyd]

peacedreamer,

These posters that are obsessed with politics and hating Christianity will blame EVERYTHING on one or the other. Or both if they''re really talented.

[peacedreamer-2009]

fibonacci_, saying he hoped his family is in heaven isn''t exactly the same thing as being motivated by religion. I think he would have killed them even if he never once set foot in a place of worship. What he did was greedy, evil, selfish and horrible. What religion gives that kind of person peace of mind? What person like that is motivated by a religion founded by a pacifist? I don''t get where anyone can condemn religion because of the work of evil. If he said he hoped the toothfairy was taking care of him, would you all be able to interpret that to mean dentistry made him do it?

[truthwart08]

I hope he is in hell, fated to torture until time ends. What a disgusting human being.
Posted by horse3farm at 07:02 PM : Mar 26, 2008

That''s really uncharitable from a Christian perspective. I mean all he did was steal some money and deprive these people of say 80 or 90 years tops of life here on earth. Actually, if you think about it, he gave them that many extra years in heaven, so he arguably did them a favor from a Christian perspective. I''d give him say ten million years in hell, and then I''d let him out, provided he''s been on good behaviour. Anything more than ten million years would be excessive, I think.

[deemsnyd]

Go online, read about such a terrible tragedy, scroll down to the posts, read the last two...and sure enough, there it is...blaming Bush, Cheney, and Christainity all in one fell swoop!

[facts6]

"""Are we really supposed to believe that the American psychological community has no profile for this kind of behavior""""

They do its called being a coke w*h*o*r*e. He stole, murdered, and committed suicide for the ''euphoria''
of cocaine.

He was god with a snootfull. And he acted as such.

[freakout101-2009]

Like what Bush and Cheney would do to all of you if 9/11 and his war crimes came to light and he had to face justice. Or any of these leaders. Same kind of trash. They should paint 3 peice suits on garbage bags with a neck tie to seel.

[fibonacci_]

The Christian religion made him feel a little better about it - after all, they are only going to heaven.