Trial bumped 10th time for Indiana man charged with killing Iowa City man in 2021

IOWA CITY — A Indiana man, who prosecutors say lured an Iowa City man to his death by pretending to be a woman for a date and then fatally shot him in 2021, received yet another trial delay on Thursday, making it his tenth since being charged three years ago.

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Sixth Judicial District Judge Jason Besler continued the trial for Renard Winfield Jr., 32, of Gary, Ind., because one of his lawyers couldn’t be available for the previously set trial date of July 9. Besler, during a virtual status hearing in Johnson County District Court, said he understands the prosecution’s concerns about another delay but it wouldn’t be fair to Winfield to only have one lawyer for a murder trial.

Michael Adams, with the State Public Defender’s Special Defense Unit, asked for the continuance because he had a health issue in his family and couldn’t be at the July 9 trial.

Winfield’s other lawyer, Amy Kepes, said she doesn’t handle murder trials on her own and that it would beneficial to have another lawyer with her. She said Winfield doesn’t want to replace Adams. Winfield only agreed to the delay if Adams could continue to represent him, along with Kepes.

Assistant Johnson County Attorney Jeffrey Brunelle resisted the delay, arguing that it prejudices the prosecution because they have to reissue subpoenas, which become more difficult after three years because witnesses move, and they have to rearrange their schedules again for a new trial.

Brunelle also argued witnesses’ memories can become more “clouded” as time goes on, which could affect their case. He suggested there are other lawyers with the special defense unit, which has some of the best in the state, he noted.

Besler said this wasn’t expected and he was going to grant the continuance.

Besler will contact the lawyers Friday and find a new trial date.

The last delay of trial was in January when the defense argued that prosecutors provided additional evidence to them only days before the trial was to begin.

According to a criminal complaint, Tommy Curry, 31, of Iowa City, was fatally shot April 28, 2021. Winfield, charged with first-degree murder, is accused of luring Curry to an apartment complex by pretending to be a woman and setting up a “date” with Curry on April 28, 2021.

According to a criminal complaint, police responded about 8 p.m. to multiple 911 calls at the Meadow Lark Apartment Complex, 2400 Lakeside Dr. Curry was found inside his vehicle, and police said he had been shot numerous times.

Curry later died of his injuries.

Witnesses told police they saw a man approach Curry’s vehicle and start shooting, according to the complaint.

Investigators reviewed Curry’s cellphone and found he had been exchanging text messages with the same person since Jan. 23, 2021. The text messages showed Curry believed he was communicating with a woman he met on a dating website. Curry planned to meet that person at the Meadow Lake Apartments on April 28.

Investigators used the phone number and associated dating website to lead them to Winfield, who they say was posing as a woman.

Police also found a video on Winfield’s phone of him in possession of a handgun, which is believed to be the same caliber as the gun used to shoot Curry, according to the complaint. The video also showed Winfield with ammunition that was found at the scene of the fatal shooting, and police obtained surveillance video that showed Winfield purchasing ammunition days before the incident, the complaint states.

Police also obtained additional surveillance footage that showed a white Dodge Journey driving away from the crime scene. That vehicle was registered to a relative of Winfield’s, police said.

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