Man facing murder charge in Waterloo shooting

WATERLOO, Iowa - Police have arrested a man in connection with the death of a Parkersburg man who was found in a parked car.

Montez Tyrone Caples, 21, of 1119 Kern St., is being charged with first-degree murder in the death of Robert Joseph Shannon, 34, who was found Wednesday afternoon in a car on Popular Avenue and Whittier Avenue.

An autopsy by officials with the Iowa State Medical Examiners Office determined Robert Joseph Shannon, 34, died of a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, according to Capt. Tim Pillack with the Waterloo Police Department. The autopsy determined Shannon was shot and killed while he sat in the driver's seat, Pillack said. He said no weapons were found in the vehicle when officers searched it.

Relatives at Shannon's home said they were grieving and didn't know what happened. They declined to comment further.

Crime scene investigators returned to the scene in daylight Thursday morning with metal detectors. They swept a grassy lot in the 100 block of Poplar Avenue across from where the car has been parked.

The vehicle itself was removed for further study Wednesday night.

Police said it was registered to a Des Moines woman who had loaned it out.

Neighbors called police Wednesday after noticing Shannon in a running Hyundai passenger car that was parked in the 100 block of Poplar Avenue. Officers determined he was dead and had been there for several hours.