Missing brothers case
A farmer says the man linked to two missing brothers from Wisconsin starved more than 100 cattle.
BRAYMER, Mo. - A farmer told a Kansas City, TV station that the man tied to the two missing brothers from Wisconsin starved more than 100 cattle that he kept on the farmer’s land.
Nick Diemel, 34, and Justin Diemel, 24, of Shawano County were reported missing after they didn’t make their July 21 flight to return to Wisconsin from a business trip to Missouri. The brothers own Diemel’s Livestock in Navarino.
Clinton County Sheriff Larry Fish said July 31 human remains were found on the farm operated by Garland Joseph Nelson, 25, who was charged with tampering with a pickup truck the brothers rented for their travels in Missouri.
The farmer, John Gingrich, told KCTV5 in Kansas City, Missouri, in a story published Wednesday that Nelson rented his land to take care of around 100 calves. He knew that Nelson had been convicted of cattle fraud but thought Nelson seemed like an ordinary cattleman, the station reported.
But months before the brothers disappeared, Gingrich became worried about overcrowding and food for the calves when Nelson brought more than 300 animals to his propert.
“Two bales of straw and two bales of silage for 312 head wasn’t even close to enough,” Gingrich told the station.
He also saw that Nelson wasn’t removing the plastic net wrap from the bales and saw cattle eating the plastic, the station reported. A few cattle died each day, Gingrich said.
Gingrich decided not to call the police because he did not want to give Nelson more problems, but KCTV5 News could not confirm whether Nelson owned all the dying cattle.
Nelson left about 170 dead cattle and many that were too sick to walk to Gingrich, according to the station.
Gingrich hired a contractor, who asked the station to remain anonymous out of fear of Nelson, to help him move the dead cattle from his land.
“It was a disaster. It was a nightmare,” the contractor said. “Every time I’d grab the cattle with the grapple they’d just fall to pieces and the stomach would fall to pieces. Plastic wrap was everywhere inside the cattle. Netting was everywhere.”
Gingrich did not allow the station to take images or videos of him because of his Amish faith but allowed the station to record his voice because he thought what happened wasn’t right.
Gingrich told Nelson’s family about the neglected cattle and said Nelson confronted him.
“Joey went off the rocker,” Gingrich said. “The air was thick with his cussing.”
Gingrich later heard about the brothers’ disappearance.
Nelson is expected to appear Thursday in Caldwell County Circuit Court for a preliminary hearing. Nelson is being held without bond.