Sighs of relief for family as Jacob Hilgendorf is found guilty of murder

Curtis Bailey's family and friends hugged and had tears, and some let out some big sighs of relief as the judge read the guilty verdict for the 21-year-old man who killed him Wednesday in Scott County District Court.

Jacob Hilgendorf, of Belle Plaine, convicted of first-degree murder, held his head down as he stood and heard he will spend the rest of his life in prison for beating to death his mother's boyfriend, Bailey, 33, of Marengo, July 18, 2009.

“I will miss him until the day I die,” Jacob's brother Derek Hilgendorf said in a hoarse voice during a phone interview Wednesday after the verdict was announced. “All we can do now is prayer (for appeal).”

Derek Hilgendorf and his family were not able to attend court Wednesday but had attended some of the week long trial.

The jury deliberated about eight hours over two days to reach the first-degree murder verdict. The jurors were escorted out of the Scott County District Courthouse after the verdict and didn't talk with the media about their deliberations.

Sentencing will be next month. A date wasn't set Wednesday.

Bailey's family didn't want to comment to the media but asked BJ Franklin, director of Horizons Survivors Program, to provide a written statement.

Franklin said Bailey's son Alex and other family members wanted to thank friends, the Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa County Sheriff's Office, Iowa Attorney General's Office and Survivors for their hard work and support. They also thanked the jury for their time and 6th Judicial District Judge Denver Dillard.

“We feel justice justice has prevailed and we have one more trial to go and would like to work on developing a new normal for our families,” Franklin said.

First Assistant Iowa County Attorney Lew McMeen said he was pleased with the outcome and wanted to  thank the sheriff's office, DCI and the Attorney General's Office. Assistant Attorney Douglas Hammerand prosecuted the case.

Hilgendorf and his friend, Jessica Dayton, 20, of Belle Plaine, have now been both convicted of first-degree murder as part of a conspiracy to kill Bailey. Dayton is serving a life sentence in prison and Denise Frei, Hilgendorf's mother and Bailey's girlfriend, is also charged with first-degree murder and will stand trial March 7 in Scott County.

Bailey was brutally beaten with a landscaping rock and possibly other items, according to testimony in both trials. Hilgendorf told police he beat Bailey until he stopped breathing. Bailey died from blunt force trauma injuries.