Cedar Rapids man accused of manslaughter cites false social media posts for moving trial

CEDAR RAPIDS — A lawyer for a Cedar Rapids man, who is accused of fatally stabbing Devonna Walker last year, told a judge Friday there was a “substantial likelihood” his client couldn’t get a fair trial in Linn County because of the hundreds of social media posts and videos that contain false and inflammatory information about this case.

Shane Teslik, 38, is charged with voluntary manslaughter and disorderly conduct — epithets/threatening gesture. Teslik’s lawyer, John Bruzek, during a hearing asking the court to move the trial out of Linn County, cited a Pew Research study that reported 58 percent of people get their news from digital platforms like social media. That information is available for anyone to read, whether it’s factual or not, he noted.

Bruzek argued the misleading or inaccurate information includes comments saying Walker’s fatal stabbing was a “racist murder, hate crime”; she was stabbed more than once; the accused is a “white supremacist”; and the accused didn’t help her or call 911.

Most of the individuals making the comments have already found Teslik guilty and believe these “fabrications” and “inflammatory” information, Bruzek said.

Bruzek said Teslik was the first person on Jan. 2, 2023 to call 911 and report the incident, but those comments are made online and people believe it.

He also argued there was an “orchestrated” effort in the community to interfere with this case and the jury pool. Bruzek seemed to be referring to, but didn’t mention by name, advocacy groups such as Advocates for Social Justice and Stand in Unity, who protested when law enforcement and the Linn County Attorney’s Office didn’t make an arrest immediately after the fatal stabbing.

Bruzek said these groups or individuals had meetings with County Attorney Nick Maybanks and Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell and had an “actual effect” on this case, causing prejudice. He said he didn’t mean Maybanks or O’Donell did anything inappropriate.

Bruzek believes the advocacy groups also will try to influence the jurors. In fact, he said, they have said that in their posts and comments.

One of his exhibits submitted to court, which was played during the hearing, was a video someone made which integrated real news clips from TV station reports with other interviews and information that wasn’t accurate.

First Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter, in arguing against moving the trial, said there was no authority in Iowa law to consider personal media accounts of individuals and those comments. Facebook posts aren’t “media coverage” and the actual media coverage — “traditional media sources”-- in this case hasn’t been pervasive and inflammatory.

Slaughter said there is no information on most of the comments about who wrote them, where they live — in this district or outside of Iowa.

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The defense, in its exhibits, mentioned Jimaine Cooper, Walker’s friend. Cooper spoke in the video Bruzek showed, and he is posting on his social media account, but Slaughter pointed out that it only has around 650 followers. The defense “overestimates” Cooper’s reach, she added.

Slaughter said any prejudices and biases from potential jurors can be weeded out during jury selection and with pretrial questionnaires. That’s the point of the process, she said.

Even if the trial is moved, any of the social media accounts and comments will be available online, Slaughter noted. She said the motion is premature because no one knows if the jury pool has been prejudiced by social media.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Jason Besler said he would take some time to review all the submitted exhibits but did say the traditional media coverage of this case hasn’t been pervasive and inflammatory.

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The defense’s argument seems to be an expansion — based on social media — of this law, Besler said. He will review the exhibits again but many of them seem to be from the same accounts and same people commenting, he said.

It is clear that these people commenting can’t be on the jury, Besler said, so it’s good information to have in ensuring there is a fair and impartial jury for Teslik’s trial.

Besler said if there are issues with protesters or some interference with the trial the court can take steps to prevent those. He and other judges in this district have done it in the past.

He also said if he does decide to move the trial, they can also take it up later if it’s not possible to find impartial jurors.

Teslik will claim right to defend himself and his home

According to a criminal complaint, Teslik, who is white, had called Walker, who is Black, an “abusive racial” epithet or slur before she “charged” at him, pushing Teslik’s wife to the ground. Walker then struck Teslik twice on the left side of his face before he stabbed her, the complaint stated.

Teslik was provoked by Walker’s assault on him and his wife and he acted out of “sudden, violent and irresistible passion,” according to the complaint. Teslik “didn’t regain control or suppress the impulse to kill” and used a knife he retrieved from his home and stabbed Walker once in the left side of her chest.

Walker, a mother of three, died from the stab injury. An autopsy showed one fatal stab wound, and alcohol and drugs in her system.

At trial, Teslik plans to claim he had the right to defend himself in his home against unlawful entry by force of another, according to a motion he filed last April.

In that motion, he also said he had the right to defend himself against a forcible felony — first degree burglary.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com

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