The Cass County farmer who was found dead after a cockfighting ring was busted on his property died of hypothermia and drug toxicity, officials said Wednesday.
The body of Marvin A. Vogler, 67, was found on Dec. 4 in a fieldabout a quarter-mile from his residence, with an empty prescription pill bottle belonging to him and a cellphone.
On Nov. 24, authorities raided his property and arrested 32 people in connection with an illegal cockfighting operation. Twenty-one of those people have been convicted of misdemeanors in plea deals.
On Wednesday, the Cass County Attorney’s Office received the autopsy report for Vogler. Officials determined his cause of death is “hypothermia associated with combined hydrocodone, acetaminophen and diphenhydramine toxicity,” according to Colin Palm, the Cass County attorney.
Hydrocodone and acetaminophen are pain relievers and diphenhydramine is an antihistamine.
Officials do not suspect that another person was involved in Vogler’s death but are still awaiting results from an analysis of data from his cellphone.
