Prosecutors: Blum told police he killed his wife

James Blum held the life of his wife in his hands last January and chose to end her life during an argument by holding her head down into the sofa cushions until she quit breathing, Assistant Attorney General Denise Timmins said Wednesday in her opening statement.

“He (Blum) waited until she stopped struggling and breathing before he let go of her head,” Timmins said in Washington County District Court. “He told (police) he waited about half an hour before he called 911. He (Blum) said he killed his wife.”

Thomas Diehl of Iowa City, one of Blum's attorneys, said in his opening that the case is about emotion, intention and suggestion.

Diehl said Blum is a “salt of the earth Washington County guy” who was a victim of domestic abuse and psychological abuse from his wife. He married her about six years ago, and the couple spent all his retirement income and were struggling financially. The couple was living on Social Security.

“All Blum wanted to do (that day) was quiet her down,” Diehl said. “She was always hammering at him – telling him he's a bad person.”

Blum, 71, a former Wellman city council member, is charged with second-degree murder. He is accused of pinning his wife Patricia, 67, face down on a sofa in their home and smothering her Jan. 11, 2010.

The trial is expected to last a week or so.

Timmins said Blum and his wife argued that day, but the argument escalated after she decided to leave and backed the car into the garage door. That's when Blum held her head down into the sofa cushions.

When police arrived, Blum told them they had argued and Patricia ran the car into the garage door, Timmins said. Blum said he went outside to fix the door and when he came back inside she was on the floor with a black eye. He didn't know what happened.

Timmins said he then confessed to killing his wife. “I smothered her," he said. "I hoped she was dead.”

Diehl said there was no traumatic injuries to Patricia Blum's body and nobody knows how she died. He asked the jurors to pay attention to the medical evidence.

Diehl said Blum didn't really answer the sergeant's questions in the interview. The police put the circumstances or suggestions in Blum's mouth. He would say “if you say so.”

“Listen to his responses (in interview),” Diehl said. “He (the sergeant) was trying to get him to say he planned this and he wanted to get rid of her.”