• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Crime / Courts / Trial date set for man accused of murdering A-P football coach

Trial date set for man accused of murdering A-P football coach

December 28, 2009 By O. Kay Henderson

Mark Becker (file photo)

Mark Becker (file photo)

A trial date has been set for the man accused of murdering a longtime northeast Iowa football coach this past June. Witnesses say Mark Becker walked into the football team’s weight training room early in the morning and shot Aplington-Parkersburg coach Ed Thomas to death.

Becker, who was 24 at the time of the shooting, had played as an offensive lineman for Thomas.  Thomas, who was 58, was a legendary coach. Four former A-P team members were playing as linemen on NFL teams at the time of the shooting.

A district court judge has ruled that Becker’s trial on a first degree murder charge should “commence on February 8, 2010 in…the Butler County Courthouse (in) Allison.”  The judge’s decree suggests “the place of jury selection may later be modified.” 

Becker has entered a “not guilty” plea to the murder charge.

Court records indicate Becker has been arrested for drunken driving, assault and possession of drug paraphernalia and, in January, Becker admitted to police that he was a methamphetamine user. 

The weekend before the shooting, Becker led police on a high-speed chase that wound through three counties. Police in Cedar Falls, where Becker threatened someone with a baseball bat, believed Becker would undergo a psychiatric evaluation at a Waterloo hospital and they would be notified if he were released.  Becker left the hospital on Tuesday and shot coach Thomas on Wednesday, June 24th.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Crime / Courts Tagged With: Football

Featured Stories

Governor signs child care expansion into law

Iowa seniors have until July 1 to apply for new property tax break

Smoke from distant fires creates colorful sunrise in Iowa

DOT’s Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division to merge into State Patrol

Iowa’s governor approves liability limits for trucking industry

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 6/5/23

Iowa eliminated at NCAA regional

Iowa names Beth Goetz interim AD

Cyclone Trio Invited to USA Basketball U19 Training Camp

Cameron Young to compete at the John Deere Classic

More Sports

Archives

Copyright © 2023 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC