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Bahlmann helps convict Iowa killer

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Drew Bahlmann, a 2001 graduate of Guttenberg High School and son of Ron and Kay Bahlmann of Guttenberg, appeared on Dateline NBC on Sept. 11 during an episode documenting the murder of an Iowa man. Bahlmann is pictured at right with his wife, Autumn, and Dateline host Keith Morrison. (Photo submitted)

By Molly Moser

On May 8, 2014, David Moffitt snuck into the Grimes home of Justin Michael. Moffitt shot and killed Michael while he slept next to his fiancé, a woman named Angie Ver Huel who Moffitt had casually dated months prior. A twisting, turning trail of evidence eventually led to Guttenberg High School graduate Drew Bahlmann, who helped convict Moffitt at a trial held this summer. Bahlmann appeared on Dateline NBC in a Sept. 11 episode detailing the crime.

“I grew up very familiar with guns,” said Bahlmann, who spent time hunting pheasant and deer with his father, Ron. “His teachings combined with the hunter safety course I took at Osborne when I was a kid gave me a healthy respect for firearms.”

Bahlmann is a high school English teacher in Sigourney. He’d sold guns previously and never had a problem, so he was very prepared when a man calling himself Andrew Wegener inquired about a 9mm carbine Bahlmann was selling online. 

The two men met at a gas station where Bahlmann works part-time, Bahlmann aware that the station’s parking lot was monitored by security cameras and his coworkers inside. He checked Wegener’s ID, which matched, and the men filled out a bill of sale. Then, as Wegener drove away, Bahlmann recorded his license plate number – just in case. 

Several days later when a Polk County detective called, Bahlmann feared he’d misinterpreted the laws and that he himself would be jailed for the improper sale of a firearm. In fact, he’d done everything right. 

Bahlmann produced not only the information he’d collected at the gas station, but also all the emails he’d exchanged with Wegener, photos of the weapon, and casings he’d saved. He also provided a key piece of information to investigators: He chose a photo of Andrew Wegener from a lineup, identifying Wegener’s face as the man pictured in the ID he’d been shown at the time of the sale. When shown a lineup including Moffitt’s photo, he immediately recognized Moffitt's as the face of the man who’d purchased the gun.

Investigators eventually determined that Moffitt had been impersonating another of Ver Huel’s exes, Andrew Wegener, during all activities leading up to the murder of Justin Michael. 

“This experience has taught me that being prepared and cautious is the way to go in all situations. When in doubt, document everything and hope you never need the documentation,” Bahlmann told The Press. “As far as this situation and current gun laws, I think some reform is necessary, but the fact remains that if an evil person wants a gun to do their evil deed, no law is going to stop them. We need to focus less on making new laws and focus more on enforcing the existing laws. Providing more funding for mental health facilities and evaluations would be a definite plus, too. After all, the guns aren't responsible for the violence. That responsibility falls to humanity.”

Moffitt was convicted of first-degree murder in July and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. 

“Seeing the whole thing played out on Dateline has given me more perspective than I could have hoped for. I knew the man was unbalanced after everything first came to light, but when you see everything laid bare in the courtroom and later on the television, you see just how unbalanced he was,” Bahlmann said. “I feel somewhat better about my part in this, but I still feel remorse for the pain the family went through at the hands of the killer and how I unwittingly helped him accomplish his goal.” 

Bahlmann expressed feelings of guilt and told Dateline he’s seen a counselor to talk through those complicated emotions, but admitted that helping to put the murderer behind bars has helped clear his conscience.

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