Emmetsburg man charged with murder in Palo Alto County 2020 homicide

PALO ALTO COUNTY, Iowa — A second man has been charged with murder after the body of a man was found in Virgin Lake in 2020 in Palo Alto County.

Police say on February 28th, members of the Palo Alto County Sheriff's Office along with agents with the Iowa Divison of Criminal Investigation arrested 22-year-old Brice Patrick Colling, of Emmetsburg.

Colling was arrested without incident and charged with the July 2020 murder of Rollin Bontrager in rural Palo Alto County.

Allan Schwidder, formerly of Emmetsburg was arrested, charged and plead to 2nd-degree murder on March 12, 2021, for his role in the death of Bontrager.

Bontrager's body was recovered from Virgin Lake south of Ruthven on July 22nd. According to court documents, an autopsy revealed that Bontrager had suffered multiple lacerations to the head consistent with a bolt cutter.

The investigation is continuing.

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