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Washington county murder trial begins today
Gazette Staff/SourceMedia
Jan. 5, 2011 5:01 am
Opening arguments in the second-degree murder trial of James Blum are expected to begin Wednesday morning.
Tuesday was spent selecting the jury which will hear the Washington County District Court case.
Blum, 71, of Washington, Iowa, is accused of killing his wife, Patricia Blum, on Jan. 11, 2010 by pushing her onto a couch and smothering her. Investigators have said a dispute apparently began when Patricia Blum, 67, backed a car into a garage door. James Blum called police himself to report his wife's death.
The trial is expected to take about a week.
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