Survivors include his wife Loree; seven children, Andrew, Preston, Jordan, Cody, Siera, Ariel and Parker; his parents of Genoa; eight brothers and sisters, Cathi Beiermann of Columbus, Lyle Zach and Mary Beth Classen, both of Humphrey, Thomas Zach of Wichita, Kan., Brenda Eller of Shelby, Edward Zach of Lincoln, Ann Thieman of Randolph and Roy Zach of Wayne; and his grandmother, Eleanor Eisenmenger of Humphrey.
For The Families
MADISON -- The four men accused of killing five people in one of the nation's deadliest bank robberies appeared in court for the first time Friday morning here.
Some friends of the suspects and relatives of the four US Bank employees and a bank customer who were killed during the robbery filled the 35-seat courtroom. The slain customer's oldest, college-age daughter wept as she stood with others in a hallway before the bond hearing, which was delayed by the late arrival of a court interpreter.
The three suspected gunmen were arrested a few hours after the shootings Thursday morning in O'Neill. They were identified by police as Jose Sandoval, 23, of Norfolk; and Jorge Galindo, 21, and Erick Fernando Vela, 21, both of Madison.
A fourth suspect, Gabriel Rodriguez, 26, of Madison, was arrested late Thursday. Police found Rodriguez after locating in southeast Norfolk the Cadillac he was believed to be driving, Police Chief Bill Mizner said.
All four were being charged with five counts of first-degree murder, which carries a potential death sentence in Nebraska.
Investigators think Rodriguez had been posted outside the bank in the Cadillac until the robbery went awry and he drove off, Mayor Gordon D. Adams said.
"He must have been the getaway driver, and had a change of heart when he heard the gunshots," Adams told the Associated Press.
The bank robbery occurred shortly before 9 a.m. at the US Bank branch at the intersection of 13th Street and Pasewalk Avenue. Mizner identified the customer killed as 37-year-old Evonne Tuttle of Stanton and the four bank employees as 43-yearold Lola Elwood of Norfolk, 42-year-old Jo Mausbach of Humphrey, 29-year-old Lisa Bryant of Norfolk and 50-yearold Samuel Sun of Norfolk.
"We have a very, very horrendous crime that happened here in Norfolk," Mizner said earlier Thursday. "Every one of us who are involved in it have one sole focus and that is to find the people that did this and get them into custody."
He said all five were killed on the scene. A sixth person, a customer at the bank, was injured in the robbery and was treated and released from the hospital. That person's name has not been released by authorities. Two other bank employees escaped injury.
From the bank, Mizner said the suspects fled down the alley east on foot, forcibly stealing a 2003 Subaru from a nearby house at 1203 Hayes Ave. No one there was injured, though the men still were armed when they forced there way into the house and demanded the vehicle at gunpoint.
"The focus in my office now is what happens next?" said Madison County Attorney Joseph Smith, who planned to ask that all four suspects be held without bond.
At least three of the suspects have records in Madison County and the fourth was facing a criminal charge.
Sandoval had been convicted of a misdemeanor assault for a fight at a Madison bar in 1998. The man he'd been in a fight with later suffered two brain hemorrhages and died, but an autopsy was unable to provide conclusive evidence that Sandoval's blows had caused the man's death.
Galindo was sentenced last November to 264 days in jail for being one of three men to pull up to the loading dock at Deets Furniture in Norfolk and taking leather furniture.
He and another man were convicted, but a third man, identified only as Jose, could not be identified.
Rodriguez spent time in prison from 1995 to 1998 for a burglary in Madison County. Prison records indicate he attempted to escape from work release in 1996 and 1997.
Vela was charged just last Friday with carrying a concealed weapon.
Three of the suspects have lived in the Madison area for years. Galindo, Sandoval and Rodriguez all attended school in Madison, Superintendent Robert Ziegler said. He said Galindo left high school in 1998, Sandoval left in 1995 during his freshman year, and Rodriguez left in 1991 after eighth grade.
Smith said he has talked with U.S. Attorney Mike Heavican who has assured him federal complaints will be filed against the men as well. Three of the men also will face charges in Holt County where they were arrested driving a stolen vehicle.
The FBI continued processing the crime scene Friday. Jim Bogner, the FBI special agent leading the investigation, said they continued to work with local law enforcement on the case. The Douglas County mobile crime laboratory also was on the scene.
Autopsies on the victims were to take place Friday in Omaha, the county attorney said.
Nebraska State Patrol Capt. Brad Rice said that at 4:45 p.m. Thursday, road blocks searching for the suspects, which had been in place throughout the day in Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa, were lifted.
Law enforcement were on a manhunt for the suspects, described as Hispanic men wearing dark, baggy clothing. "We focused our efforts on trying to identify and locate the suspects. Our focus was actually on the homicide aspect. The FBI was focusing on the armed robbery," Mizner said.
The three suspects were arrested in O'Neill, two at a gas station and one at McDonald's, about four hours after the holdup.
Gov. Mike Johanns, in Norfolk for two press conferences Thursday afternoon, said it could have been a frightening night for Nebraskans, but thankfully the suspects had been incarcerated.
"What a sad, sad day. And to the families out there of the victims, we want to collectively express our sympathies and our prayers. I know the whole state is lifting them up in our prayers and I am, too," he said.
Norfolk Mayor Gordon Adams said he wished to express the city's gratitude to law enforcement who worked together to make the arrests.
"This is certainly an example of how multiple agencies can get together and cooperate and solve a problem. We certainly are grateful for that. We also extend our sincere condolences to the families of the five victims that were needlessly and stupidly taken away from us," Adams said.
Investigators were still trying Friday to figure out what went on inside in the bank, though the wounded customer and two unharmed employees may be able to help, Mizner said.
Police have been viewing at the bank's security camera tape. Mizner said the tape was used to identify the suspects.
"I don't think we can, in good conscience, in detail discuss what is on the tape," Joseph Smith said. "It will all come out in court."