Louisville man's death at site of cockfighting ring found to be from hypothermia, official says

LORI PILGER - Lincoln Journal Star


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The autopsy for a 67-year-old man found dead last month on his Louisville-area property where a cockfighting ring was discovered, concluded he died of hypothermia, Cass County Attorney Colin Palm said.

Marvin Vogler’s body was found Dec. 4 in a field about a quarter-mile from his home.

In a news release Wednesday, Palm said the autopsy report indicated Vogler died of hypothermia associated with combined hydrocodone, acetaminophen and diphenhydramine toxicity.

“At this time, there is no evidence indicating another person’s direct involvement in Mr. Vogler’s death,” Palm said. "However, the circumstances surrounding the death are still being investigated by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.”

Officials are awaiting results of an examination of the cellphone found, along with an empty prescription bottle, near Vogler's body.

Vogler had been a person of interest in the cockfighting investigation, according to the sheriff's office.

Acting on an anonymous tip, deputies and state troopers raided a cockfight on the Vogler property Nov. 24, managing to arrest 32 people while many fled into the nearby fields.

Inside the barn, about 5 miles south of Louisville on Nebraska 50, investigators found a fighting ring, 11 dead roosters, blades and syringes. They seized more than 180 live birds — most of them roosters.

Many of those arrested, 30 men and two women, since have pleaded guilty to misdemeanors in a deal with prosecutors.