Uri Sellers was murdered because he, and others, wouldn’t let Michael Ron Runyan and Luke Joseph Abrams attend a party at Adelante Fraternity in the early morning hours of April 20, documents indicate.

The argument took place on the fraternity’s front lawn at 2:30 a.m., only 15 minutes prior to the murder, police said. Witnesses at the party told police that the argument was over whether Runyan and Abrams could come inside, said Ames Police Sgt. Jim Robinson.

“It appears there was a verbal altercation over the suspects being on the property at the fraternity,” he said.

According to police applications for arrest warrants, Runyan and Abrams left after the argument, discussed killing Sellers and returned with a 5-to-6-inch knife. Runyan then confronted Sellers on the lawn of Adelante Fraternity, 318 Welch Ave. He stabbed him once in the chest and killed him..

“Eyewitnesses who accompanied Abrams and Runyan to Ames from Fort Dodge gave statements to the police concerning the assault and have heard the defendants make statements implicating themselves in the crime,” the warrant application states.

Police found Sellers at the scene with a stab wound in his chest.

He died a short time later, 4:06 a.m., at Mary Greeley Medical Center.

Sellers, 19, of Monroe, was in Ames for the Veishea celebration. Sellers, a DMACC student, was planning to attend Iowa State. He was thinking about joining Theta Chi.

Theta Chi members have been staying at Adelante since their house was destroyed by fire in the fall.

Surrender

On Friday, Runyan, 20, turned himself in alone to Fort Dodge police at 10 a.m. Abrams, 18, turned himself in to Fort Dodge police with his attorney, William Habhab Jr., at 7:30 a.m. Friday.

Runyan is charged with first-degree murder for stabbing Sellers. Abrams is charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder for helping Runyan get the knife used to kill Sellers and helping to plan the murder.

“I would have never guessed on Monday that we would’ve gotten a conclusion as quickly as we did,” said Ames Police Chief Dennis Ballantine.

Both Runyan and Abrams made initial appearances in Story County District Court in Nevada Friday afternoon. Story County Attorney Mary Richards requested bail to be set at $250,000 each, but Judge Steve Van Marel set a cash-only bail at $750,000 each, virtually ensuring that Runyan and Abrams remain in jail until their trials.

Runyan stood before Van Marel with a firm jaw and a stiff upper lip, head slightly tilted back, wearing handcuffs connected to a waist harness, baggy pants and a gray Pepe t-shirt. Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald escorted Runyan into the court room and stood behind him through the proceedings.

Both suspects are being held at Story County Jail until preliminary hearings on May 5 at 1 p.m., where Runyan and Abrams will enter pleas of “guilty” or “not guilty.”

Knife discovered

On Friday, Ames police officers discovered the knife likely used to kill Sellers. It was found somewhere in the four-block area between Ash Avenue, Stanton Avenue, Knapp Street and Lincoln Way.

Ballantine said officers knew the location of the vehicle used by Runyan and Abrams, which helped them locate the knife, but Ballantine wouldn’t say if Runyan and Abrams helped police locate the knife or if an as yet unidentified third person.

Robinson said police are holding back the description of the knife, pending further investigation. “We’re still verifying that this was in fact the weapon used. We’re pretty sure that it is.”

The investigation

Robinson said the suspects came to Ames from Fort Dodge with a group of five or six people for the Veishea celebration. The investigation was narrowed to two suspects although initial reports indicated stated three men ran from the murder scene.

Ballantine said police have interviewed the third person involved with the incident.

Ballantine also said some witnesses interviewed on April 20 were either partially or completely impaired because they had been drinking heavily.

The investigation was conducted by the Ames and Fort Dodge police departments along with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Ames police had five officers working in Fort Dodge with two DCI investigators and the Fort Dodge police after the suspects were identified, possibly as early as April 20. In addition, Ames police had two officers investigating the case in Ames with one DCI officer.

Ballantine said investigators were helped by media coverage and that officials purposely maintained a high-profile case to put pressure on the suspects.

Robinson said the investigation is continuing, although Runyan and Abrams were the focus.

“It is unknown if future charges will come in this investigation. Additional information could be gained leading to additional charges,” Robinson said. “We still have people coming forward and all information is being forwarded to investigative teams.”

Ballantine said Ames police and the Story County Attorney’s Office have kept the Sellers family informed.

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— Staff writer Aymi Hanks Foell contributed to this report.