Iowa City police have found the answers to some questions, but are still seeking the answers to others in the killing of five people this morning. Police were called to a home on the east side of the city this morning at 6:31 — where they found the bodies of a woman and five children.
The victims were identified as 42-year-old Sheryl Sueppel and her four children. Police began searching for Sueppel’s 42-year-old husband Steven and the family’s minivan. A short time later police reported a van matching the description of the vehicle Suepple was believed to be driving had crashed and burst into flames on Interstate 80.
Police have now confirmed the vehicle was the Sueppel’s, but say the extensive fire has kept them from positively identifying the person inside as Steven Sueppel. An autopsy is set for Tuesday to try and identify the person in the burned out van. Autopsies are also scheduled on the five victims, and investigators have not yet released any details on their cause of death.
Steven Sueppel had been the vice president and controller at Hills Bank and Trust in the Iowa City area before being arrested and charged with one count of embezzlement of bank funds and six counts of money laundering to conceal that he’d embezzled nearly $560,000. He was scheduled to go to trial on April 21st.