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Jury convicts North Liberty man of suffocating Palo woman
Jury deliberated about 3 hours

Apr. 14, 2023 5:43 pm
VINTON — A North Liberty man, who helped his girlfriend kill her stepmother and then made a video of them bragging about it, was convicted of first-degree murder Friday in the death of the Palo woman.
The Benton County jury found Tacoa Talley, 38, guilty after deliberating about three hours, following a four-day trial.
Talley didn’t show much reaction when 6th Judicial District Judge Chad Kepros read the verdict. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.
On Thursday, the jury watched the Snapchat video Talley and Samantha Bevans, 34, of Palo, made in a Cedar Rapids motel room July 16, 2022 — two days after the two are accused of suffocating her stepmother, Jodie Bevans, in her Palo home by holding a pillow over her face.
In the video, Samantha Bevans says, “I killed her. I killed her myself,” as Talley encourages her to “keep goin’.”
“And I knew this would happen, so good job,” Talley said.
“We killed her,” Samantha said and then makes an obscene gesture to the camera.
An Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation special agent testified about the video, cellphone data and motel surveillance footage that helped investigators corroborate statements made by Jayson Wells, who testified Wednesday that he knew what the couple was planning and was with them before and after the murder.
Samantha Bevans also faces a first-degree murder charge, with her trail set for Sept. 25 in Benton County District Court.
Assistant Iowa Attorney General Monty Platz, during his opening statement Tuesday, said the motive for the murder was “thousands” of dollars that Talley and Samantha Bevans believed were in the Bevans’ home safe.
Jodie and Mike Bevans had banned Talley from their home years before. They allowed Samantha Bevans to move back home in 2022 but kicked her out because she started using drugs again.
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