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A man dies from carbon monoxide poisoning, but was he murdered?  Kenneth Engie was found dead  They fought over the waitress CASE DETAILS On October 4, 1988, police in Edmore, North Dakota, began an investigation into the death of a local auto repair man—27-year-old Kenneth Engie. Kenneth was discovered in his own garage by his uncle. The cause of death was determined to be carbon monoxide poisoning. Initially, police viewed it as a suicide.  Engie deliberately backed into the truck But, almost immediately, some of the evidence began to contradict the suicide theory. Why was a fully loaded rifle found six feet away from Kenneth’s body? There was a small pool of blood on the floor … where did that come from? Even more puzzling was the fact that the car ignition had been turned off. If Kenneth had, in fact, committed suicide by inhaling carbon monoxide, then who turned off the truck’s engine? Kenneth Engie’s family insisted that suicide was out of the question. But, if foul play was involved, who had a motive and the opportunity to commit the crime? Within 12 hours, the police found a potential suspect who had both. At 2:00 AM on the night Kenneth died, only two customers remained in a local bar—Kenneth, and Curtis Heck, another auto repairman. According to Curtis, the bar was about to close when he and Kenneth got into a drunken scuffle:
According to Curtis, Kenneth retaliated moments later:
 Who turned off the ignition? Heck decided to get even. About an hour later, he and the bartender drove to Kenneth’s home, where they saw Kenneth’s truck parked in the driveway:
According to Larry Wobbema, Chief of Police for the Edmore Police Department, this was the last time Kenneth was seen alive:
 A fully loaded rifle was 6 feet from Engie However, Kenneth’s uncle, Richard Nygaard, believed that his nephew heard Curtis kicking his truck and then fought with him when he came into the garage:
Several puzzling questions continue to loom over this case. Did Kenneth start up the truck to keep warm until Curtis Heck arrived? He was a trained mechanic and certainly knew the lethal possibilities of running an engine in a small, enclosed space, unless alcohol had impaired his judgment. But if a drunken Kenneth did start the truck and was overcome by fumes, how could he have had the clarity of mind to cut the ignition, but still be unable to reach the nearby door? And finally, if it was not Kenneth who turned off the ignition, then who did, and left him on the floor to die? Many years have passed since Kenneth Engie was found dead and his family still believes that the whole story is yet to be heard. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season three with Robert Stack and in season five with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. SUBMIT A TIP |
Sid
I live in a town very similar to Edmore, North Dakota, its a nice town, small population, everybody knows everybody. If you make a coffee at 3am, the entire town knows about it. So all the locals in this town will know what truly happened.
Anonymous
In Texas if you give first aid to someone who dies you can go to jail. But in this case you kick at them and it is okay.
Anonymous
Curtis was also a mechanic just like Kenneth. That case is one of those fundamentals that was taken advantage of. Just because a suspect admitted to being at the crime scene, doesn’t mean you can’t check for fingerprints on the key. He admitted to being at the crime scene and the police just classified it as the last time he was seen alive. It also could of been the first time he was seen dead. But his testimony did help him.
Lincoln Jim
Just watched this today –
There were only two surviving witnesses to the brawl (assuming no CCTV) so why would the barmaid and heck admit to it if they were guilty of killing him? That shows motive so admitting it, in my view, points to innocence.
Why was there no evidence of the brawl on Engie’s body? Surely it would be impossible to separate injuries from the brawl and any that occurred with murder.
Would the uncle have had motive to turn off the engine and “clear” his nephew of the stigma of suicide? Possible if unlikely.
Why weren’t prints taken from the truck in the garage – Heck’s prints would have been a red flag for sure. We have to assume they weren’t found.
Noobmaster69
I think he drug overdosed
Anonymous
Ethonol was the contributor. A defense attorney could are that it came from alcohol and not gasoline.
Anonymous
Are= argue
Jack Off
Did anyone check to see if he was “probed” by aliens?
Former Edmore Resident
Aliens I tell you! Ask anyone about the “Edmore Lights”.
thinkingoutloud
it seems he was murdered. i don’t think kenneth was waiting around for curtis to come by. He may have been in his garage for another purpose, but both the bartender and curtis went to his place and curtis admitted he was trying to get even. there was clearly a brawl in the garage that left him unconscious and he died of the poisoning. either the bartender or curtis intentionally turned off the car to avoid any further issues until police or a witness showed up.
since kenneth was a mechanic, drunk or not, he would know best not to leave a car running for an extended period of time in an enclosed area.
Andrew
It’s certainly possible that he started the truck in the garage in order to move it out, as they mentioned in the story, but then dozed off shortly thereafter (as he was severely intoxicated and may have succumb the the alcohol-induced exhaustion that would have resulted). After a while he awoke, shut off the ignition, and attempted to exit the garage but then collapsed due to carbon monoxide poisoning. As tragic as it may be, the most likely scenario based on the evidence presented in this feature is that he died an accidental death, and was not the victim of either suicide or homicide.
Archie
I agree. Being drunk takes away from your skilled profession. He was simply too drunk. R.i.p to him.
Anon
I’m from this town, born and raised. It’s still locally believed that Kenneth was murdered. Curtis Heck was known to be a bully and a raging alcoholic with a hair triggered temper. He thought he was better than everyone else. He and Kenny had been at odds for awhile based on the mutual interest in the bartender and the fact that Kenny’s repair shop was more successful than Heck’s.
s.k.
Did they fingerprint the keys in the ignition? Damaged muffler seems possible.
Anonymous
Because he admitted to being at the crime scene they overlooked it. They didn’t have today’s science back then. That still would be used as evidence today. I don’t think they saved anything for forensics.
nm
here is a picture of the bar where kenneth an curtis fought
http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/247087/jim-dow-exterior-of-kunkel's-bar-edmore-north-dakota-american-negative-2001-print-december-2004/
CRJ
Oh my god No how Did He Die?
LUIS FREEH
THE BARTENDER CALLED THE POLICE AND THEY “STALKED THEM BOTH” UNTIL THEY SAW ENGIE WITH HIS GUN COMING OUT OF THE HOUSE SO THEY PUT HIS TRUCK (HE HAD LEFT RUNNING) IN HIS GARAGE (STILL RUNNING) AND LOCKED HIM IN WITH HIS GUN! “PLAYING NON LETHAL POLICE NOW” OHH! WE DIDN’T KNOW!
58210
He had to have been murdered all the signs are there
Anonymous
What signs? The autopsy revealed no signs of assault. There is literally zero evidence for a murder.
This is an instance where the family can’t cope with the fact that a loved one died because he made a stupid mistake while hammered and thus cries foul play.
Irene
Check the bartender may have wanted to check up on him had the other guy drive her there he beat up truck she went to cool the guy off in garage then turns truck on left him die came back later to shut truck down maybe even started it while he was in house he came out to see what was going on may have felt funny in house brought his gun out with him to investigate and got overcome by fu fumes dropped gun went to turn ignition off Did they fingerprint truck handle and ignition ?
Rene
Check the bartender may have wanted to check up on him had the other guy drive her there he beat up truck she went to cool the guy off in garage then turns truck on left him die came back later to shut truck down maybe even started it while he was in house he came out to see what was going on may have felt funny in house brought his gun out with him to investigate and got overcome by fu fumes dropped gun went to turn ignition off Did they fingerprint truck handle and ignition ?
Becca
Is there a photo of Kenneth available? There wasn’t one shown in the segment?
Bob
If he supposedly rammed the others truck by reversing into it then could he have busted his exhaust and could have been poisoned on the drive home within the vehicle?
Tiffany
He probably started the car to keep warm and dozed off. Then woke up and realized what was happening, shut it off and tried to make it out but being impaired plus being in the garage for who knows how long with the engine going probably contributed to him not making it.
Anonymous
I think he was murdered by curtis to get even with him
Irene
What about bar maid could have used excuse saying she wanted to check on him had Curtis Drive her there went into garage started engine when KEN started to feel funny and heard engine got his gun came out dropped gun went to turn truck off turned to go back and collapsed she left him to die Curtis covered for her or they plotted together so he kicked the truck so KEN would come out