Jury convicts Cedar Rapids man on lesser charge in fatal attack

CEDAR RAPIDS — In a verdict that mystified prosecutors, a Linn County jury Tuesday found a Cedar Rapids man guilty of voluntary manslaughter — not first-degree murder — for killing 22-year-old Emily Leonard last year by beating her repeatedly with a metal rod.

The jury found Arthur Flowers, 62, who faced a life sentence under the first-degree murder charge, guilty of the lesser crime and facing up to a 10-year term in prison.

Flowers didn’t present any witnesses in his defense, and the jury deliberated about five hours before reaching a verdict.

According to Iowa law, voluntary manslaughter is when someone causes the death of another person “solely as the result of sudden, violent, and irresistible passion” as a result of being provoked.

Assistant Linn County Attorney Jordan Schier, after the verdict was reached, said he wanted to thank the jury for its time and service.

“However, I respectfully disagree with their verdict,” Schier said. “There was more than enough evidence to show that this was not a crime made during the heat of passion. Unfortunately, the jury got it wrong. Ms. (Heidi) Weiland (assistant prosecutor) and I presented the best case possible.”

Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said the April 2, 2022, incident was a “brutal and unjustified beating that took this young woman’s life.”

“We believed the evidence supported a murder conviction. Maybanks said. ”That is why we sought a murder conviction. But our system is one of trial by jury, and we accept the verdict.”

He also wanted to acknowledge a “stellar” investigation by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and hard work of prosecutors Schier and Weiland.

Evidence showed Leonard was struck multiple times in the head with a metal rod or pole found on Flowers’ front porch at his southeast Cedar Rapids home. Blood found on the rod matched Leonard’s DNA.

The repeated blows caused multiple skull fractures and a large tear in her scalp, as well as other bruising, cuts and other broken bones.

A state medical examiner testified the blows were made at different angles, perhaps as if she was trying to move away from the attacker. Leonard had defensive wounds on her hands and arms. She would have died shortly after being attacked, he said.

According to trial testimony, Flowers said in a police interview that he was asleep in his bathtub, which was only inches away from where Leonard’s body was found by police that day, and he denied knowing what happened to her.

During the interview, he initially said she overdosed on drugs, after first rambling about things that happened years ago. Flowers, in that interview, also admitted that he and Leonard had a sexual relationship, but added that sometimes he’s impotent so he tried to have sex with her any time he could. However, he never indicated to investigators the two were fighting, or that she provoked him.

Investigators testified the bathroom of his house was in disarray and covered in blood. There were layers of items that typically don’t belong in a bathroom, which investigators said were piled up and concealed blood spatter and areas on the floor that looked like it had been wiped down to remove blood.

Other crime scene investigators testified that holes were made in the bathroom wall and on the door frame that were consistent with the end of the metal rod. The blood spatter and impact areas showed Leonard or Flowers was likely moving during the attack.

Sentencing is set for June 9.

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