Conviction upheld in 2009 Bailey murder

DES MOINES - The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a 21-year-old Belle Plaine man who conspired with his mother and a friend to kill the mother's boyfriend in 2009.

Jacob Hilgendorf told police he killed Curtis Bailey, 33, of Marengo, on his own - without help from Denise Frei, 45, of Marengo, or Jessica Dayton, 21, of Belle Plaine, who also were convicted in the scheme.

In his appeal, Hilgendorf argued that the district court erred in admitting hearsay statements of co-conspirators. Hilgendorf said certain statements Frei made to one of the witnesses, who wasn't involved in the scheme, shouldn't have been permitted in court.

The appeals court ruled that Hilgendorf's justification defense wouldn't have prevailed even if those statements had been excluded.