FORT DODGE – Two bodies are found in Fort Dodge in just the past week.
The first body was discovered in a field in the town of Moorland just Southwest of Fort Dodge on Monday. 51-year-old Donald Preston was shot, and police are considering his death a murder. No arrests have been made as of Friday night..
The second body was found at the Cadwell Building Thursday morning. The cause of death for 50-year-old Lorri Alexander is not known. An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday.
It’s been a tough week for Donald Preston’s family – losing someone who was so close to them. Local 5’s Orko Manna sat down with Preston’s nieces to hear how they are remembering him.
Donald Preston’s family members describe him as a man who lit up a room. They are all gathered in Fort Dodge, doing their best to get through the holiday season. Preston’s nieces tell Local 5 their “Uncle Don” was one in a million.
“He was murdered. It’s scary,” said Samantha Spencer, on of Preston’s nieces.
Donald Preston’s family is looking for answers after a week filled with uncertainty and major heartbreak.
“We’re taking every day you know at a time, it’s been hard not having the justice that we deserve,” Spencer said.
Police found Preston’s body on Monday and are calling it a homicide. But as of Friday night, no suspects have been found.
The painful loss – hitting even harder during this holiday season.
“It’s more difficult losing him on Christmas,” Spencer said. “Next year, next Christmas you know, how is that going to affect us.”
Still, those closest to him are doing their best to remember him as the bright light he was.
“I mean he was the funniest dude, the most caring dude, you know, he was my uncle, but he was more like my brother,” Spencer said.
“My uncle Don was so outgoing he was funny, he he just touched everybody in a different way, it’s crazy because we talk about so many memories, so many things,” said Keyonna Preston, another one of Donald Preston’s nieces.
His memory is keeping his family close, despite the fear they still feel.
“We have no answers, we don’t even know if the murder was something that’s going to target his family, we don’t know anything,” Keyonna Preston said.
But what they do know is that they need each other now more than ever.
“I’m scared, I was hurt,” Spencer said.”We can only stay strong as the Preston family.”
Preston’s family says what they want most is some closure in this case. The Webster County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation say they are still continuing their investigation. If you have any information, you are asked to call the Webster County Crime Stoppers at (515) 573-1444.
Stay with Local 5 for updates on both of these investigations out of Fort Dodge.
