In the early hours of October 22, 2018, the city of Fort Dodge, Iowa, was rocked by its first homicides of the year. Marion Rhodes, a 37-year-old Black male, and his younger brother, Eldominic Rhodes, aged 34, were found shot to death in an alley. The tragic event unfolded just after midnight near North Ninth Street and Third Avenue North, behind an apartment building. Authorities were alerted to the scene by a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, they discovered the two brothers lying in the alley, both having sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly pointed to a confrontation that turned deadly. It was revealed that the incident stemmed from an argument over a soured drug transaction. A man named Tanner King, 28, was allegedly arguing with another individual, Cletio Clark, over "bad" drugs that King had reportedly sold to Clark's girlfriend. During this dispute, Marion Rhodes walked by and exchanged words with King. Shortly after, Eldominic Rhodes arrived at the scene. The argument escalated, and King is said to have pulled out a handgun, shooting both brothers. He also allegedly fired a shot at Clark, which missed and struck a nearby car.
The primary suspect, Tanner King, was soon identified and apprehended by the Fort Dodge Police Department. He was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Marion and Eldominic Rhodes, as well as one count of attempted murder for firing at Cletio Clark. Another man, 46-year-old Paul Keller, was also arrested and charged with obstructing prosecution for allegedly concealing evidence on King's behalf. Although Cletio Clark was considered a person of interest, particularly after his girlfriend initially provided a false alibi for him, the focus of the investigation remained on King.
Evidence against Tanner King mounted during the investigation. A search of his apartment, located behind the crime scene, uncovered a box of. 40 caliber ammunition with fifteen bullets missing, which was consistent with the ammunition purchased by King just two days before the shootings. Following a three-week trial that was moved to Story County, a jury found Tanner King guilty of two counts of first-degree murder on December 5, 2019. On January 25, 2020, he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole.
