I’ve never felt anger towards anyone over the board, not even when swindled by the opponent, however obnoxious he or she may be. If I play a bad move, lose a game, I always beat myself up over my own disgraceful effort - not the opponent.
Iowa City man David Christian, 29, appeared at the Johnson County District Court this morning via video feed from the Johnson County Jail after being charged Sunday with the killing of his neighbor, Michael Steward, 39, over an argument about their chess game.
Johnson County Judge Stephen Gerard set Christian’s bond at $500,000 and scheduled his preliminary hearing for Oct. 30.
Christian faces a second-degree murder charge in the killing, a Class B felony. If convicted, Christian could face up to 50 years in prison. Christian is also charged with public intoxication.
The Iowa City Police and Fire departments and the Johnson County Ambulance Service responded to 418 Brown St. Apt. 6, Iowa City — Christian’s home — at 3:08 a.m. Sunday and found Steward unresponsive. He was taken to Mercy Iowa City and declared dead shortly after.
According to the criminal complaint, Steward slapped Christian during the chess match. Christian responded by reportedly putting Steward’s head between his legs and applying pressure to Steward’s neck while holding his hands.
Christian applied pressure to Steward’s neck on and off until he “didn’t look so good,” according to the complaint. When police asked Christian what “didn’t look so good” meant, he replied, “Have you ever seen a dead person?”.
Christian attempted to perform CPR on Steward with “negative results,” according to the complaint.
Steward lived in the same building in Apt. 4.
This is the sixth reported homicide in Iowa City this year.
Becky Sharp of 414 Brown St., Apt. 7, who has been neighbors with Steward for three years, said she knew something was wrong with Steward after seeing police cars parked outside his building for two hours.
"I knew something had happened to him," she said. "I knew in my gut he was dead."
Sharp, who also lived at 418 Brown St. before moving next door, described him as a really good person who had demons like everybody else.
"He drank way too much, but he was really nice guy," she said. "He would do anything for anybody."
She said Steward was planning on applying for a job at the University of Iowa and wanted to go to graduate school to study library sciences. He received a degree from the UI years ago in literature, she said.
"I just can’t believe we’ll never see him again," she said. "I’m shocked — just shocked."
Sharp added she tried to avoid Christian because he seemed a little "freaky" to her and acted erratic.
The woman who lives in the apartment between Christian and Steward, who spoke on the condition her name not be used, said Christian and Steward were good drinking buddies who would often play chess or Scrabble while drinking.
"It’s what they did," she said. "They would drink, play games, and get in arguments."
She was not at the building at the time of the reported killing.
She also described both men as "intellectual" and great cooks who could whip up some "really fabulous things."
They both lived by themselves in their one-room apartments, she said.
"Those two were always together," she said.
Susanna Strode of 315 Brown St., who lives a block from where the killing took place, said it’s a good neighborhood that’s mostly occupied by homeowners and families, except for a few rental properties by where the killing happened.
Preliminary results of Steward’s autopsy are expected back early this week.
Christian, who was also charged with public intoxication, is being held at the Johnson County Jail.
http://gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008710199918
I can’t think of much that would get me angry, perhaps blatant cheating, but even then not enough to lose my cool. What does it take to tip you over the edge?
