Articles Tagged: Linn County Attorney’s Office

A Linn County jury deliberated about four hours Wednesday before finding Denzel Wilson guilty of first-degree murder. He faces life in prison without parole. The jury did acquit him of going armed with intent.

A psychologist testifies how the mental status of Denzel Wilson affected his decision to fatally shoot Kenyauta Vesey-Keith on June 11, 2023. A rebuttal witness said Wilson told her he shot Vesey-Keith for revenge.

A form of cyberbullying, doxxing involves posting private or personal identifiable information online about another person — such as a home address, phone number, Social Security number or other identifiers — for the purposes of harassing, intimidating, embarrassing or otherwise harming the person.

Denzel Wilson, on trial for first-degree murder, testified Monday he felt threatened by Kenyauta Vesey-Keith at a bar and shot him because he saw Vesey-Keith reaching for a gun in his waistband or pocket.

She hadn’t wanted to go out, night seemed ‘off’

A prosecutor, in his opening, said Kenyauta Vesey-Keith was fatally shot in 2023 over rival gang “animosity” that has continued since 2016 when Vesey-Keith killed another man during a street fight. Denzel Wilson is on trial this week for first-degree murder.

Appeals court dismisses one trafficking in stolen weapons conviction for Stanley Donahue, who tried to kill a Linn County sheriff’s deputy during a convenience store robbery in 2021. His other nine convictions were upheld and his sentence remains 92 years in prison.

An analysis and comparison of the shell casings and a palm print led police to one suspect in the May 2020 murder and burglaries -- Damontie Lee Haggstrom-Wells, 22, of Cedar Rapids, who was charged in 2023.

Judge sentenced Cedar Rapids mother to 40 years in prison, for what he called “horrendous acts” of child abuse. Her 3-year-old son suffered multiple, repeated injuries, which a medical expert said was “torture.”

A 19-year-old Maquoketa man pleaded to theft and conspiracy charges for his participation in the fatal shooting of Michael McCune, 16, of Cedar Rapids, on Feb. 18, 2023. He faces up to 32 years in this case and a separate theft conviction.

Defense for Marion man says a fair and impartial jury can’t be selected in Linn County because the pretrial publicity. The news articles and coverage has reported unsubstantiated information. Prosecution argues news articles have been accurate and reported facts in the case taken from criminal complaints and court documents.

Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks shared year-end stats for 2024, which showed significant decreases in violent and serious crimes. The five felony prosecutors also successfully prosecuted 10 homicides last year and have more on their plates this year, as their caseloads continue to top the national average per attorney.

A Cedar Rapids man pleaded to child endangerment charges for breaking his infant son’s ribs, legs and holding his throat, preventing him from breathing because the child wouldn’t stop crying. He admitted to police multiple acts of physical abuse. He faces up to 35 years in prison.

A judge on Friday sentenced McKinley Louisma to life in prison without parole for the kidnapping, torture and strangulation of Melody Hoffman, 20, of Marion, on Feb. 17. Melody’s mother said her daughter would want her to forgive Louisma but she couldn’t.

A Cedar Rapids man, who had history of sex abuse and sex offender registry offenses, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for soliciting an individual he believed was a 14-year-old boy, but it was actually a police officer posing online as a teen.