Nelson pleads guilty, gets two life sentences in brothers' murders
Sep. 30—The Northwest Missouri man charged in the deaths of two brothers from Wisconsin pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of first-degree murder, ending a case that has twisted its way through the courts for more than three years.
Garland Joseph Nelson entered the pleas in a Cass County courtroom, receiving two life sentences without parole that will run consecutive to each other for killing Nick and Justin Diemel. In exchange for the pleas, all the remaining charges against Nelson, which included counts of abandonment of a corpse, tampering with evidence, tampering and stealing a motor vehicle and armed criminal action, were dropped.
In 2020, one of Nelson's defense attorneys said the state was seeking the death penalty if he was convicted in the case. Despite that fact, the Diemel family was "shocked" Nelson pleaded guilty, but Brady Kopek, the Caldwell County prosecutor, said the deal had been on the table for a year and in the works "for a while."
"This was probably one of the biggest cases in Northwest Missouri in recent memory and it's been the talk of the town," Kopek said. "I know everybody is going to be relieved to know that it's finally resolved."
According to court documents, between 2018 and 2019, the Diemel family sent livestock to Nelson's farm to be cared for but the animals were neglected and many died. Yet Nelson still charged the family full price.
The Diemels later asked for their money back. According to court documents, Nelson purposefully damaged a check sent to Nick Diemel. This led to him coming to Missouri with his brother Justin to meet Nelson in person.
In court Friday, Nelson admitted to killing Nicholas, 35, and Justin, 24, in July of 2019 on his farm near Braymer, Missouri. Nelson said he shot and killed Nick and Justin before burning their bodies in the pasture on his farm.
When Nelson confirmed the details of the murders on Friday, it was the first time most members of the Diemel family heard what actually happened. As the defense described Nelson shooting the two brothers, members of the Diemel family began to cry and Pam Diemel, the mother of the two brothers, left the courtroom.
"I'm sick to my stomach right now," Pam Diemel said after the hearing. "Life is very empty without them here."
The Diemel brothers were reported missing when they didn't make their scheduled flight from KCI, and after extensive searches, law enforcement officers eventually found human remains at Nelson's farm.
Following the plea, the Diemels described how much their family has been affected by this "heartless" act. Nick left behind a wife, Lisa, and four kids, while Justin was soon to be engaged.
"Nick, we had big plans for our family's future and it has been unimaginably hard coming to terms that I will forever navigate this life without you," Lisa Diemel said when she addressed the court Friday. "Your children's loss causes me so much pain and many tears."
Connie Leisgang, the brothers' aunt, said when Nick's son sees an airplane he thinks it's his dad coming home.
"Holidays are awful," Pam Diemel said. "We have to put on a face and you have to put a fake smile on to make your grandchildren happy and your children. That'll probably be the rest of our lives."
Trials in the case had been delayed repeatedly and moved to different courthouses. Although the brothers' murders happened in Caldwell County, Nelson's court proceedings were ultimately moved to Johnson and Cass counties due to publicity surrounding the case.
Nelson had been set to appear in federal court in Kansas City for a trial next week in a separate case related to his dealings with the brothers. The federal charges involved two counts of fraud and two counts of unlawfully transporting firearms.
"A big weight has come off of our shoulders," said Mitch Allen, the Caldwell County sheriff. "It is the outcome we were hoping for. We hope that the family can find some closure in this. It's going to be really difficult for them, but life does go on."
Pam Diemel said there will never be closure but the family will always remember Justin's beautiful smile and Nick as an incredible husband and father.
"They didn't deserve what was done," Connie Leisgang, the aunt, said. "It was just awful, especially when you hear it in court. There'll never be closure. We're always going to remember the boys regardless."
Quinn Ritzdorf can be reached at quinn.ritzdorf@newspressnow.com
