Fifth murder trial begins for man charged in Des Moines shooting

Testimony is under way in the fifth first-degree murder trial of a man charged in a 1995 gang-related killing in Des Moines.

Jarmaine Allen is accused of killing reputed gang leader Jody Stokes outside a bar. Testimony began Thursday in Polk County District Court.

Allen's first trial ended with a hung jury. A second trial resulted in a conviction, which was overturned. Allen was convicted again in 2006. The Iowa Court of Appeals ruled in 2008 that Allen deserved a new trial. That trial ended in a mistrial in April.

Stokes' killing prompted a wave of violence that included the death of a Des Moines woman who was caught in the crossfire between rival gang members. Allen was convicted of second-degree murder in that shootout.