Appeals court upholds conviction of Ginger Jefferson for killing her daughter-in-law in 2013

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Iowa Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld the conviction of Ginger Jefferson, who was found guilty in 2014 for killing her daughter-in-law in Tama County.

A jury found Jefferson, 59, guilty of first-degree murder and she is serving a life sentence for stabbing to death her son's wife, Kerry O'Clair Jefferson, 32, Sept. 25, 2013. Testimony showed Jefferson stabbed her daughter-in-law twice in the neck. Kerry died from two fatal wounds to the neck and also suffered blunt force injuries to her face and head.

Jefferson stabbed Kerry following a family argument because Kerry told police where to find her husband, Dustin Jefferson, who was wanted on an outstanding warrant for sex abuse charges, according to testimony.

Jefferson in her appeal claimed ineffective counsel because her lawyer failed to object to evidence submitted of an audio recording from her police interrogation. The recording contained evidence that the state said it wouldn't admit and the defense asked the court not to allow it at trial.

The recording had a discussion of a previous physical encounter between Jefferson and her daughter-in-law and Jefferson's alleged dislike of Kerry because she was a 'white American,” according to the appeal. There was also reference to a possible motive for the murder was that Jefferson wanted to prevent Kerry from getting her son's money from the Meskwaki Settlement if he was convicted on the sex abuse charges and went to prison. The recording was played during the trial.

The appeals court ruling stated that even if the state violated the agreement and defense didn't object, the outcome of the trial wouldn't have been any different. Jefferson confessed to two people and the victim's blood on her clothing 'constituted powerful evidence.”

Before the verdict was returned for Ginger Jefferson, her son Dustin Jefferson, 40, was arrested and is accused of helping his mother kill his wife.

His first and second trial ended in mistrials and his retrial is set for Feb. 2 in Jasper County. After his mistrial in October, the retrial was moved to Jasper County. He is charged with aiding and abetting in first-degree murder and if convicted, faces life in prison without parole.