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Former Aplington-Parkersburg player charged with killing coach

June 24, 2009 By

Mark Becker is charged with the murder of Aplington-Parkersburg coach Ed Thomas. A 2004 Aplington-Parkersburg graduate is in the Butler County Jail, charged with murdering his former football coach.

At about 7:45 this morning, Aplington-Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas was shot in the school’s weight-training room; he died later this morning at a Waterloo hospital.

Twenty-four-year old Mark Becker of Parkersburg has been arrested and charged with first degree murder. Kevin Winker, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, says Becker was arrested shortly after the shooting.

“He was taken into a custody at a residence in rural Parkersburg,” Winker says. “He was cooperative at that time and he was taken into custody without incident.”

Court records show Becker was charged with reckless driving, failure to stop at a stop sign and with eluding authorities on Monday for an incident that happened this past Saturday in Cedar Falls. He reportedly was admitted for a mental evaluation, but released. In June of 2003, Becker was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, but the charges were later dismissed.

“I can tell you that Mr. Becker’s entire past is being looked into as a part of this investigation,” Winker says. “But the specific details about where he was at and what he was doing over the last week is not something I’m going to be able to address here today.”

According to investigators, Becker used a hand gun to shoot coach Thomas “multiple times.”

 

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Human Interest Tagged With:

Class 1A: Alyssa Dunlop, Woodbine

June 24, 2009 By

The junior pitcher was 4-0 on the week and in 24 innings of work allowed only one earned run, five hits and struck out 46 batters. Dunlop tossed a one-hitter and struck out 14 in a victory over Charter Oak-Ute and also tossed a two-hitter and struck out 12 in a win over Avoca A-H-S-T. She also helped her own cause at the plate with a .461 average and five RBI.

 

 

Filed Under: INS Player of the Week, Uncategorized

Class 2A: Courtney Wood, Alburnett

June 24, 2009 By

The junior first baseman had a big week at the plate with a .652 average. She had a home run, two triples, six RBI and scored eight runs. Wood was four-for-four with two RBI and scored three runs in a victory over North Linn and was perfect in three trips with a triple, an RBI and scored a run in a victory over Sumner-Fredricksburg.

Filed Under: INS Player of the Week, Uncategorized

Class 3A: Emily TeBrink, Le Mars

June 24, 2009 By

The senior centerfielder hit better than .660 last week with 14 hits in 21 at-bats. She slammed a pair of homers, drove in six runs and scored seven times. TeBrink was two-for-four with a homer and four RBI in a victory over MOC/Floyd Valley and was also perfect in four trips to the plate and scored three runs in a win over Storm Lake.

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Class 4A: Missy Staloch, Ottumwa

June 24, 2009 By

The junior pitcher was 5-0 on the week and in 30 innings of work gave up only one earned run, 16 hits and struck out 30 batters. Staloch tossed a two hitter and fanned eight in a shutout victory over Des Moines Hoover and also blanked Conrad BCLUW on a three hitter and struck out six.

 

Filed Under: INS Player of the Week, Uncategorized

Aplington-Parkersburg coach shot to death

June 24, 2009 By

Aplington-Parkersburg’s football coach was shot early this morning in the school’s weight-training room and died shortly afterwards at a Waterloo hospital. Ed Thomas had coached 37 seasons at Aplington-Parkersburg. His teams won state championships in 1993 and 2001.

Four of his players are on NFL rosters today and, in 2003, the NFL honored Thomas as the high school coach of the year. The death of Thomas is a tough blow to a community still in recovery mode after a tornado demolished part of the town just over a year ago.  The coach’s home was demolished by the tornado and Thomas led efforts to rebuild the school’s football facilities so his team could play on its own field last fall.

Aplington-Parkersburg superintendent Jon Thompson has been counseling some of the 50 students who were in the school’s weight room this morning and witnessed the shooting. "Ed was the type of man who was not afraid to show emotions and, absolutely, emotions have hit all of us here in town — Aplington and Parkersburg. It’s been devastating," Thompson says.

"For me, personally, I’ve had moments of sobbing and crying. I’ve had moments of trying to think like a superintendent. It’s hard when you know the man as a professional, you know the man as a friend and then you’ve also had your sons play football for him."

The superintendent says Thomas was more than just a coach to the town. "I can’t describe how emotional it is for all of us to lose such a great person," Thompson says. "…Him as a person, that’s another loss to our community today. That’s how he’s best going to be remembered — not as the football coach but as a good person, a good Christian and a tremendous role model for us all."

Thomas coached Aplington-Parkersburg to two state titles and four runner-up finishes. "I think Ed’s resume, so to speak, as a football coach will stand forever," the superintendent says. "It’s rivaled by only a few schools in the state." According to the superintendent, the shooting happened at 7:45 this morning in the weight-training room. A suspect is in custody. 

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Town mourns shooting death of popular football coach

June 24, 2009 By

The shooting death of Aplington-Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas is a tough blow to a community still in recovery mode after a tornado demolished part of the town just over a year ago.

Thomas was the school’s football coach for 34 seasons. The coach’s home was demolished by the tornado and Thomas led efforts to rebuild the school’s football facilities so his team could play on its own field last fall.

Aplington-Parkersburg superintendent Jon Thompson has been counseling some of the 50 students who were in the school’s weight room this morning and witnessed the shooting.

“Ed was the type of man who was not afraid to show emotions and, absolutely, emotions have hit all of us here in town — Aplington and Parkersburg. It’s been devastating,” Thompson says. “For me, personally, I’ve had moments of sobbing and crying. I’ve had moments of trying to think like a superintendent. It’s hard when you know the man as a professional, you know the man as a friend and then you’ve also had your sons play football for him.”

Four former Aplington-Parkersburg players are on NFL rosters today and, in 2003, Thomas was named the high school player of the year by the NFL. The superintendent says Thomas was more than just a coach to the town.

“I can’t describe how emotional it is for all of us to lose such a great person,” Thompson says. “…Him as a person, that’s another loss to our community today. That’s how he’s best going to be remembered — not as the football coach but as a good person, a good Christian and a tremendous role model for us all.”

Thomas coached Aplington-Parkersburg to two state titles.

“I think Ed’s resume, so to speak, as a football coach will stand forever,” the superintendent says. “It’s rivaled by only a few schools in the state.”

According to the superintendent, the shooting happened at 7:45 this morning in the weight-training room. A suspect is in custody.

(On-the-scene reporting from Elwin Huffman of KOEL.)

 

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Fires/Accidents/Disasters Tagged With:
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