Diemel brothers service set for Navarino diamond Sept. 27

The Bonduel community will have a chance to say goodbye to the Diemel brothers, more than a year after they were murdered on a Missouri business trip.

A visitation and service for Nick, 34, and Justin, 24, has been set for Sept. 27 at the Navarino diamond, W5173 State Hwy 156, from noon until 3 p.m. Pastor Ty Stoneburner will then preside over a memorial service, according to Muehl-Boettcher Funeral Home’s web site.

When asked about the site of the visitation and service, the Diemel family responded via email, “As numbers are limited at the funeral home due to COVID, we were looking for a venue to accommodate the numerous people who have supported our family.”

The email added the family appreciated the Town of Navarino’s support and its agreeent to host the visitation and memorial at the ball diamond.

The brothers’ obituaries will be in the Sept. 11 edition of the Shawano Leader and appear online at newmedia-wi.com.

The Diemel brothers were killed July 21, 2019, at a farm northeast of Kansas City.

The email continued, “”The remains have not yet been returned. Because of the multiple times there have been new attorneys assigned to his (the man accused of the murders) case and the nature of his current defense, the state elected to hold the evidence to make sure all attorneys had a chance to view the evidence.”

The brothers’ obituaries note they were living their dream with their Diemel’s Livestock business. Brandon, another brother, was also involved with the business.

The two Diemels worked in their family’s concrete business before setting up their own venture.

Garland “Joey” Nelson, the Braymer, Missouri, farm’s operator, is charged with the deaths including a variety of other felonies.

Nelson has been held since July 2019 in the Caldwell County Detention Center in Missouri without bail. Nelson’s last court appearance was in May and no trial date has been set.

Nelson background

Nelson also faces two counts of abandonment of a corpse, two counts of tampering with physical evidence, two counts of “armed criminal action” and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.

The defendant has sought to have some of the charges dropped as well has asked for a change of venue.

The firearm charge stems from Nelson’s felony conviction in federal court for “Fraud Using Property Mortgaged or Pledged to Farm Credit Agencies.” Under state law, felons are forbidden to have or use firearms.

Nelson, 25, was first arrested July 29 for tampering with a motor vehicle, a state felony. Court documents show Nelson admitted to driving a white Ford F250 pickup truck, rented by the brothers on July 20, from the Braymer farm on July 21, 2019, about 11:45 a.m. to a commuter parking lot near Holt, where it was abandoned.

A Kansas City, Missouri, television station cited court documents as saying the Diemels were expecting a $250,000 check from Nelson as part of a cattle deal. Nick, 35 and Justin, 24, were owners of Diemel Livestock in Bonduel and had livestock dealings in multiple states. Lisa Diemel, Nick Diemel’s wife, has taken over operation of the family business after filing a petition in Shawano County probate court asserting the brothers were dead.

A neighbor reported hearing multiple gunshots coming from the farm between 11:15-11:30 a.m. on July 21, according to the charging documents.

“It is believed Nick and Justin Diemel never left the property after they arrived and were intentionally killed,” the charges said.

No additional persons have been charged in the murder investigation.

news@ewmedia-wi.com