Murder charge filed

The case came before a grand jury convened last week. The county attorney calls a grand jury — a panel of seven citizens — to decide whether criminal charges should be brought, according to iowacourts.gov. If at least five of the grand jurors find there is enough evidence to warrant a conviction by trial jury, an indictment is presented to the court, which then initiates a criminal case.

The April 27 indictment says Manning showed malice and “willfully and deliberately killed Michael Berg.” 

Second-degree murder is a Class B felony that is typically punishable by a maximum of 50 years in prison.

Law enforcement has said little about the incident since it occurred Nov. 2 at 12251 182nd Ave., Maquoketa. Three men there were involved in a verbal disagreement, and the incident turned physical, court documents say.

At 5:35 p.m., law enforcement received a 911 call reporting a man had been shot and needed assistance.

Jackson County sheriff’s deputies and Maquoketa police officers responded to the call and helped Jackson County Regional Health Center Ambulance transport the victim, later identified as Berg, to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Iowa DCI and sheriff’s deputies interviewed the two other men at the scene. Because it is an open investigation, DCI officials last November said they would not comment on the names of those two men, their involvement in the shooting, why they were at the 182nd Street property, and whether foul play was suspected.

“All parties involved were cooperative and no persons were detained after the interview,” according to a press release issued by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office after the shooting.

Following the indictment last week, Seventh Judicial Court Judge Tom Reidel issued a warrant to arrest Manning, who was taken into custody that evening.

Manning was set for arraignment at 8:45 a.m. Friday, May 5, at the Jackson County Courthouse. He is being held on $250,000 cash or surety and is being represented by Gary D. McKenrick of Gary McKenrick Law.