Judge moves second retrial of Dustin Jefferson to Jasper County

Dustin Jefferson, accused of helping his mother kill his wife in 2013, will have his second retrial in Jasper County District Court.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Mary Chicchelly granted the move last month, but had to wait for confirmation from one of the two districts requested by the defense regarding a new location for the trial. Chicchelly said at the previous hearing she wanted to ensure the county could accommodate a murder trial.

Chicchelly also set the trial for Feb. 2 in Jasper County.

Jefferson, 40, is charged with aiding and abetting in first-degree murder. He is accused of helping his mother, Ginger Jefferson, 59, kill his wife Kerry O'Clair Jefferson, 32, in 2013.

Ginger Jefferson was convicted of first-degree murder in 2014. According to testimony at her trial, she stabbed her daughter-in-law twice in the neck. Kerry died from two fatal wounds to the neck and also suffered blunt force injuries to her face and head.

Jefferson's first trial ended in a mistrial during jury selection, after his lawyer argued the jury pool lacked representation of Native Americans.

The retrial that started in September ended in a mistrial with the jury deadlocked at 11 to 1 in favor of guilty on Oct. 5. The defense asked for the second retrial to be moved out of Tama County based on a limited jury pool because of two mistrials and Ginger Jefferson had also been tried in Tama.

Tom Gaul, Jefferson's lawyer, also argued there had been extensive 'prejudicial” news coverage by The Gazette and Waterloo Courier about the last mistrial and facts that came out in the trial regarding Jefferson's sexual abuse charges in another case.