3 arrested in theft of 300-pound church bell

By KETV Staff

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    LEWIS, Iowa (KETV) — Three people have been arrested in relation to a stolen church bell in an Iowa town, according to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

Trenton Baier, Shialea Cozad and Phillip Duncan allegedly stole the bell at United Congregational Methodist Church in Lewis, Iowa.

Baier, a 31-year-old from Lewis, was arrested for second-degree theft. Cozad, a 30-year-old from Omaha, was arrested for second-degree theft and a controlled substance violation. Duncan, a 62-year-old from Omaha, was arrested for second-degree theft and a controlled substance violation. The bell, which weighs nearly 400 pounds, was stolen from the church in late March.

It was the original bell from one of the churches that settled the Iowa town in the mid-18oos.

According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation brought deputies to Omaha and Council Bluffs. After investigating, deputies believe the bell had been destroyed, according to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office also told KETV NewsWatch 7 that those who were eligible for the $5,000 reward put up by church members refused the money.

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