Man Dies After $20 Copper Theft
Video from KETV Newswatch Channel 7 in Omaha, NE,
regarding the death of Earl Thelander of Onawa, IA
Air Date: October 12, 2007
Onawa, Iowa -- A $20 copper theft in August led to the death of an Iowa man, and local
authorities said on Friday that they need the public's help to solve
the crime.
Earl Thelander, 80, died Sept. 1 after an explosion in a home he owns
outside of Onawa. His son, Doug, said his father was preparing the
property for a new renter. In the process, someone raided the inside
of the home, police said, stealing wiring and tubing and cutting a
gas line into the home.
Doug Thelander said his father aired out the gas smell in the house
for almost three hours the next day, then plugged in a fan to move
the air around.
"He said, 'Doug, I didn't smell anything, but that spark there was just a tremendous
explosion,'" Thelander said, recalling one of his last conversations with his father.
Earl Thelander had second- and third-degree burns over 80 percent
of his body. He died in a hospital four days later.
"It's tough to watch. It's tough to watch somebody like that just fade away," Doug Thelander said.
Monona County Sheriff Jeff Pratt said he has been working the case
since the beginning. Now, he's asking the public for more help.
"We're talking about $20 worth of copper," the sheriff said. "We're trying to make people aware that somebody had to of heard something, or
somebody spoke about it. We just want people to call in and give us some information."
"He was a humble man," said Doug Thelander. "He was a strong man. He was a good man."
If you have information, call 800-859-1413. Callers may remain anonymous,
and there is a reward for good information.
Copyright 2007 by KETV.com. All rights reserved
