On a late summer afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa, the life of John Lee Belcher, a 45-year-old Black / African American male, was tragically cut short. On August 31, 2019, at approximately 3:46 p.m., police and rescue personnel responded to a report of a shooting at a residence located at 1930 Francis Avenue. Upon their arrival, they discovered Belcher inside the home, having sustained at least one gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led detectives to a suspect. Stanley Paul Wofford, a 47-year-old resident of Des Moines, was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting. The motive for the shooting was not immediately made public by the authorities.
Following his arrest, Wofford was charged with first-degree murder in the death of John Lee Belcher. He was subsequently booked into the Polk County Jail. The death of Belcher marked the city's 10th homicide of 2019, leaving friends and family to mourn the loss of a man described as humble and a good friend.
