On a tragic Friday afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa, the life of Matthew John Cizek, a 28-year-old Caucasian male, was cut short. The events of September 11, 2015, unfolded outside his home, leaving a family to grieve a man described as having a bright and magnetic personality. Cizek, a loving son, brother, husband, and father, was known for his laughter and his ability to make everyone smile.
The circumstances leading to his death were rooted in a dispute with a man named Carl Allen West.
The two were involved in selling and using methamphetamine together. Their relationship soured because West believed Cizek was becoming paranoid and owed him money for drugs. On that fateful day, West had a heated phone conversation with Cizek while at the home of Cizek's father-in-law. After the call, West told the father-in-law, "the next time I see I'm going to shoot him," a threat that was tragically not perceived as serious at the time.
Shortly after the ominous phone call, Cizek arrived at the house with his wife and her sister. He approached West, who was waiting outside on his motorcycle. It was then that West shot Cizek in the chest. Despite immediate calls to 911 by his wife, her sister, and his father-in-law, and subsequent medical intervention, Matthew John Cizek died from his injuries.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Carl Allen West fled the scene on his motorcycle. His attempt to evade justice was ultimately unsuccessful, as he was later apprehended in Colorado. West was charged with first-degree murder. During his trial, he claimed self-defense and intoxication. However, a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder for the death of Matthew Cizek.
