Dakota Toepfer

Dakota Toepfer was a 23-year-old White man who, after years of struggle, was finally finding his footing. He had returned to Iowa in January 2023 to live with his brother, had gotten sober, and was proud of his construction job. His family said that for the first time, everything was falling into place for the man they called "one of the nicest, coolest, understanding dudes in the world." He was saving money for a new truck and looking forward to the future, though he would never get the chance to hold his infant nephew.

On the morning of May 7, 2023, a confrontation took place at the Chad's Estates apartment complex in the 6300 block of Urbandale Avenue in Des Moines. According to his family, Toepfer intervened in an argument to protect his sister-in-law. Around 7:35 a.m., he was shot multiple times. First responders arrived to find Toepfer with gunshot injuries and transported him to a local hospital, where he died. His death was recorded as the city's ninth homicide of the year.

The Des Moines Police Department investigation led them to identify Joshua John Taylor as a suspect. In a strange turn of events, Taylor had been arrested on the day of the shooting for unrelated drug charges and was released from the Polk County Jail the following day. After further investigation into the homicide, police arrested Taylor again on May 16, 2023. He was charged with first-degree murder, with authorities stating he had intentionally and deliberately shot Toepfer.

The case concluded when Joshua Taylor entered into a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter and, in late 2023, was sentenced to serve up to 20 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of five years. The court also ordered him to pay $150,000 in restitution. Toepfer's family said the sentence was not the justice they had hoped for but explained they agreed to the plea deal partly because they feared a "stand-your-ground" defense might have allowed Taylor to walk free. With the case closed as of late 2023, his family plans to honor his memory each year and advocate for changes to the law.