CARTER LAKE, Iowa (KMTV) — The call came in from police in Lincoln, Neb., and when Carter Lake Police followed up, they found the body of a man.
- The discovery was made inside a hotel room at Country Inn & Suites in Carter Lake.
- Lincoln police describe "allegations" from Joseph Bertolino (made after he's accused of assaulting a police officer in an Arby's restroom), as another tip was also phoned in.
- An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday. The man's identity will be shared publicly once next-of-kin is notified.
- Bertolino, 37, is from Jacksonville, Fl., and currently in custody in Lincoln - cited for Attempt First Degree Assault on an Officer.
The account from Lincoln Police:
And, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety:
Authorities in Nebraska and Iowa link Assault Investigation in Lincoln to a Carter Lake Homicide.
At approximately 9:47 PM on April 28, 2026, police officers in Lincoln, Nebraska responded to a disturbance at a local fast-food restaurant. Upon arrival, officers encountered a male subject, later identified as Joseph Edward Bertolino, 37, of Jacksonville, Florida. Bertolino was arrested for Attempted First Degree Assault on a Police Officer and is being held without bond in Lancaster County, Nebraska.
While in custody, Bertolino made concerning statements to law enforcement reference an event that occurred at the Country Inn and Suites Hotel in Carter Lake earlier that evening.
The Lincoln Police Department notified Carter Lake Police of the allegations made by Bertolino. Around that same time, a witness called Carter Lake Police and requested a welfare check on a male subject at the Country Inn and Suites in Carter Lake.
Carter Lake Police conducted a welfare check at the Country Inn and Suites, 2210 Abbott Drive, and located a deceased male inside a hotel room. Carter Lake Police subsequently contacted the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation for assistance.
An autopsy has been scheduled at the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner on April 30, 2026. The name of the victim is being withheld pending positive identification and family notification. Charges in Iowa are pending.
This is an ongoing investigation, no other details are being released at this time.
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