Garland Nelson pleads guilty to killing Diemel brothers in Missouri, sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole

Garland Nelson was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of two Shawano County brothers in Missouri.
Garland Nelson was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of two Shawano County brothers in Missouri.

A Missouri man pleaded guilty Friday to the 2019 murders of two Shawano County brothers and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

During Friday's hearing, Garland Nelson, 28, admitted to shooting Nicholas Diemel, 35, and Justin Diemel, 24, burning their bodies and hiding their remains, according to the Caldwell County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in the state of Missouri. Charges of abandonment of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, armed criminal action and tampering with a motor vehicle were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

Nelson fatally shot Nicholas and Justin Diemel, both from Navarino, in 2019 after the brothers visited Nelson on his mother's farm in Missouri to collect a $250,000 check related to their business, Diemel's Livestock. Nelson had been taking care of cattle for the brothers, many of which were neglected and starved under his care. Still, Nelson charged the Diemels the full price, according to court documents.

When the Diemels asked for their money back, Nelson intentionally sent a damaged check to Nicholas Diemel, so the brothers visited the farm in Missouri. Their father reported them missing July 21, 2019, after they didn't return from the trip.

Nick and Justin Diemel were killed by Garland Nelson in 2019. On Friday, Nelson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Nick and Justin Diemel were killed by Garland Nelson in 2019. On Friday, Nelson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

At the time of the Diemels' deaths, Nelson was on parole after serving 17 months in federal prison for a 2016 conviction for cattle and insurance fraud. He scammed victims out of more than $262,000, and was released from prison in January 2018.

"We are glad this matter has now been resolved. We are now assured that the person responsible for this heinous crime will never be out of prison," Caldwell County Prosecuting Attorney Brady Kopek, who represented the state of Missouri in the case, said in a statement.

Investigators from more than 15 local, county, state and federal agencies worked on the case for over three years, Kopek said in a news release.

Nelson had been scheduled to start a federal trial Monday for fraud charges. The trial was canceled, with a plea hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

ARCHIVES: Diemel family still without closure a year after Shawano County brothers killed in Missouri

Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ArseneauKelli

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Diemel brothers' killer Garland Nelson sentenced to life in prison