Trial reset to next year for Cedar Rapids man charged with fatally beating his mother

CEDAR RAPIDS — Trial for a Cedar Rapids man accused of robbing and fatally beating his 71-year-old mother has been reset again to next year.

George Deason, 51, is charged with first-degree murder, assault on a peace officer with a dangerous weapon and interference with official acts with a dangerous weapon. He is accused of assaulting his mother, Elsie Mae Deason, in an attempt to steal about $50 from her in her home, where he also lived, on June 30 of last year.

The murder charge was added after Elsie Deason died from her injuries July 23 of last year. She had life-threatening head injuries and also facial injuries, according to court documents.

The trial was set for November, but both the prosecution and defense needed more time to prepare for trial and to go through all the evidence, including police body camera and squad vehicle camera recordings, and take depositions.

The complaint stated that Deason wasn’t in his mother’s home at 808 18th Ave. SW, when police arrived and found her with severe injuries to her head and face and was taken to a hospital.

George Deason was found a short time later by police near the Playtime Tap, 802 15th Ave. SW. He had several warrants for his arrest, in separate offenses of theft and forgery, and refused to surrender, claiming he had a gun as he began to swing a “slapjack” — a leather strap that contains lead — at officers.

Officers subdued Deason, and then he kicked an officer while armed with the slapjack.

According to court documents, Deason’s sister, Deborah Deason, filed two protective order petitions for her mother against her brother, but both were dismissed shortly after they were filed.

One petition filed July 5, 2019, by Deborah Deason for her mother, said her brother wasn’t feeding his mother, had thrown away all the food, pushed his mother down and threatened to put her in a home.

A judge granted the temporary order, but Deborah Deason didn’t show up for the hearing to make the protective order permanent, so it was canceled July 23, 2019.

Another petition was filed by Deborah Deason for her mother shortly after the first was canceled, asserting George Deason pushed her mother again, didn’t feed her for two days and busted up things in the home, including all the phones, so her mother couldn’t get help.

Deborah Deason requested that petition be dismissed Aug. 26, 2019, and a judge granted it.

Deason has previous convictions for assaulting police officers — kicking and spitting on deputies and resisting officers.

If Deason is convicted of first-degree murder, he faces a mandatory life in prison without parole.

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