Dustin Jefferson told police he saw blood on his mother’s hands, but denied murdering wife

Dustin Jefferson in a police interview said he knew his wife was hurt Sept. 25, 2013 after seeing blood on his mother but he didn't know she died.

In a jail interview, played Friday for the jury in Jefferson's first-degree murder trial, asked investigators what happened to his wife Kerry O'Clair Jefferson, saying he never went into the house after seeing Ginger Jefferson come out of the house with bloody hands.

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Chris Adkins told him 'she didn't make it.”

'What? What? What?” Jefferson yells as he starts sobbing and doesn't answer questions for about five minutes in the interview.

Jefferson, 38, is accused of aiding and abetting in the killing of his wife, according to a criminal complaint. His mother Ginger Jefferson was convicted of killing her daughter-in-law last year. O'Clair Jefferson, 32, died from two stab wounds to the neck and she also had blunt force injuries to her face and head, according to testimony. r

The prosecution will continue its case 9 a.m. Monday in Tama County District Court.

Jefferson in the taped interview told agents he never talked to his mother about hurting his wife. He said Kerry, his mother Ginger and sister Saharra Martinez were at 104 Harmon St., where Jefferson was living, that day partying until there was an argument because Kerry threatened to call the police and turn him in on an outstanding warrant for sexual abuse charges.

Jefferson said in the interview he took his mother and sister for a drive to 'cool off” but his sister 'freaked out,” so they dropped her off outside of town and only he and his mother came back to the house. His mother went in the house to use the bathroom but he stayed outside and drank two beers.

She came out about five minutes later and 'I saw all that blood on her hands,” he said.

'I didn't want to go inside. I didn't want to go inside,” Jefferson said almost crying.

His mother ran off and he got in his car to find her but then went around the block, came back and the police were in the driveway. 'That's why I told them to go inside.”

Jefferson asked the agents if Kerry suffered – 'what was the fatal wound?”

After the tape played, Assistant Iowa Attorney General Laura Roan asked DCI Special Agent Derek Riessen if he mentioned to Jefferson that Kerry was stabbed.

Riessen told Jefferson he knew he wanted to know about the 'fatal blow” and Jefferson corrected him and said 'fatal wound.”

In the second interview the next day, Riessen and Adkins asked Jefferson if he had a knife. Jefferson said he had a pocket knife with a 3 or 4 inch blade and handle shaped like a feather.

Adkins showed him a knife, the suspected murder weapon, that was found in the yard of 104 Harmon St. and Jefferson said it was his.

Jefferson said he didn't see his mother with it.

Adkins asked him is there any reason his wife's blood would be on his clothes.

Jefferson said if there was blood it came from his mother.

Adkins then asked why Ginger would say he was inside the house.

'I don't know,” Jefferson said. 'I'm not trying to lie. I didn't go inside the house. I was never in the house, except before we left (on the drive).”

In other testimony, Kristi Evans, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation criminalist, testified about clothing items tested for DNA. Jefferson's T-shirt, one of his sandals and the knife had blood on them and the DNA profile matched O'Clair Jefferson's.