More details on coach Thomas murder

More details about the shooting of nationally-recognized high school football coach, Ed Thomas:

A former football player, Mark Becker, 24, of Parkersburg, is charged with first-degree murder.

Four days before the shooting, Becker vandalized a house in the nearby city of Cedar Falls, then led several police agencies on a high-speed chase through two counties. The June 20 chase ended when his car hit a deer not far from his family’s Parkersburg home, and authorities took him into custody. Becker, who had admitted being a meth user, according to court records, was later taken to a Waterloo hospital for psychiatric attention, then was released after about 48 hours. The shooting took place early Wednesday morning, according to Parkersburg police.

via Mourners arrive for Ed Thomas funeral | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register.

Still no real understanding of motive, however. According to accounts by people who knew him, Becker had been a popular guy in high school, one who’d had a bright future before getting into drugs and alcohol. One wonders why Becker chose Thomas as his final stop along his descent.