In the late autumn of 2015, the life of Bryon Howard, a 36-year-old Caucasian male from Des Moines, Iowa, was tragically cut short. On Monday, November 30, 2015, Howard and his fiancée, Heather Belieu, were found deceased in the basement of a home on Center Street. The couple had been shot multiple times while they were sleeping. Belieu was holding her infant child in her arms at the time of the shooting.
Howard was remembered as a man with a good heart who loved to help people in any way he could.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly focused on Michael Wanchanic, a 39-year-old man who resided in the same home as the victims but was not related to them. According to criminal complaints, Wanchanic allegedly used a gun he retrieved from a case in his stepmother's room to carry out the killings. Following the discovery of the bodies, a search for Wanchanic was initiated by law enforcement.
A tip from a citizen who spotted Wanchanic's vehicle at a gas station led to a police pursuit. The chase ended when Wanchanic's minivan broke down on Highway 141, leading to a tense standoff with authorities that lasted for several hours. During the standoff, Wanchanic was armed with a handgun and threatened to take his own life. Ultimately, after hours of negotiation, he surrendered to police without further incident. Michael Wanchanic was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Bryon Howard and Heather Belieu. He was subsequently held in the Polk County Jail. In January 2017, it was reported that Wanchanic was seeking a plea hearing.
