Murder trial of man accused of killing coach will start next month

The first-degree murder trial of Mark Becker, 24, accused of killing Aplington/Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas, is still set to start Feb. 8 in Butler County District Court.

Becker's attorney, the prosecutor and judge discussed some motions that hadn't been addressed during a pretrial hearing Friday in Mason City. Most of the motions regarded legal procedures and rules of evidence.

Assistant Attorney General Scott Brown asked 2nd Judicial District Judge Stephen Carroll to rule on witnesses that the defense may call who have no firsthand knowledge or expertise of the shooting. The defense didn't conduct any depositions of the state's witnesses, so Brown wasn't given a list of witnesses who will testify for the defense.

Susan Flander, Becker's attorney, said told the judge that Brown could probably “figure it out”- her witness list.

Flander said after the hearing that according to the rules of evidence if she doesn't depose any of the state's witnesses, she doesn't have to share her witness list with the prosecution.

It might be considered unusual but she knows of at least one defense attorney in Waterloo who doesn't depose witnesses in his trials, she said.

The state's motion also concerned information of Becker's religious beliefs, and mental issues, prior to the shooting, that might be raised during testimony in this trial. They wouldn't be irrelevant, Brown said.

Flander said the mental issues could be relevant to the insanity defense, which Becker is relying on.

Neither attorney mentioned the specifics about religious beliefs or practices mentioned in the motion.

Carroll said he would have to rule on the admissibility of the testimony as it comes up during the trial.

Brown also filed a motion on a conditional change of venue but said he only filed it in case a fair and impartial jury couldn't be seated in Butler County.

Jury selection will begin 9 a.m. Feb. 8.