Man Convicted For Murder After A Heated Bar Fight That Started With Mayonnaise

On a Friday night, or any other night, you might want to go to a bar and unwind with a couple of drinks. Then you hear a commotion and think, by fate and bad timing, a bar fight has started.

Bar fights are common; some people can’t handle the amount of alcohol they consume, while others have bad tempers that rear their ugly heads during disagreements. 

Now your night out becomes annoying with all the yelling and bottle slamming due to petty fights. Although sometimes these bar fights start from trivial matters and end up with people suffering more than just bruises.

Such fights can even begin from something as small as condiments. In a bar down in Iowa, a man was arrested as a suspect in a murder.

Apparently, Kristofer Erlbacher, the man in question, came into the bar to eat and drink while Caleb Solberg and his half-brother Craig Pryor were also present. Then the threats began when Solberg poured mayonnaise on Erlbacher’s food.

There wasn’t any context provided for what ensued after the mayo pouring, but later that same night, Erlbacher spotted the two brothers outside a café and rammed Pryor’s car before running over Solberg.

The violence didn’t stop there, though. Erlbacher went back to run over him two more times.

If you see this news on your TV screens or anywhere else, you'd think it isn't real. It's not every day that people get killed over something like mayonnaise.

If you're out and witness a bar fight in person, would you even think it could escalate to murder? Here's how the incident unfolded.

Here is Kristofer Erlbacher

Harrison County Sheriff's Office

Erlbacher presumably wanted to inform Pryor about what he did and proceeded to call him to discuss the situation regarding his half-brother. Then the trials began.

The bar fight in Harrison County was a regular bar fight, as stated by Pryor, “until it wasn’t anymore.” This was referenced by District Court Judge Greg Steensland.

Erlbacher argued that the reason things escalated was due to his intoxication. This was rebutted by the judge, who stated, “Even if Erlbacher is under the influence of alcohol, he is responsible for his actions if he has sufficient mental capacity to form the specific intent necessary.”

He continued, stating, “Intoxication is a defense only when it causes a mental disability that makes a person incapable of forming specific intent.” Erlbacher’s effort to have his charge reduced from first-degree murder to second-degree murder was dismissed.

The trial went on, but it didn't look in favor of Erlbacher

Ulrich Baumgarten

There are certain facts, after hearing all the evidence, that pointed to the conclusion that Erlbacher wasn’t in danger at that time and that the use of deadly force wasn’t necessary. Judge Steensland also added, “The evidence shows beyond a reasonable doubt that Erlbacher acted without justification.”

There’s another fact that does not help Erlbacher’s case: when he ran over Solberg, he was heard crying for his brother, but Erlbacher decided to ensure he finished the job and went back a second time, then again for the final hit.