Travis Standlee convicted of lesser charge, could still face life in prison

DAVENPORT - Travis Standlee had no reaction Friday as a judge read the guilty verdict for a lesser charge of second-degree murder in the strangulation death of Sharon Mead last year.

Standlee, 45, faces up to 50 years in prison, instead of life for the original charge of first-degree murder, but he could still face up to life in prison because he is already serving up to 50 years for strangling and killing Raymond Ursino.

Sixth Judicial District Chief Judge Patrick Grady has the discretion to run this sentence consecutively to the other.

Grady set sentencing for Nov. 17 in Linn County District Court. The jurors quickly left the courthouse after the verdict was read in Scott County District Court. They deliberated for more than six hours on Friday after closing arguments in the morning. The trial, moved to Davenport after Standlee was convicted in June in Linn County, started on Monday.

Mead's family from out of state were not in court Friday for the verdict and declined through a Horizon victim's advocate to comment.

Assistant Linn County Attorney Jordan Schier thanked the Scott County jurors for their service.

Standlee's lawyers, Dave Grinde and Doug Davis, declined to comment after the verdict.

Schier, in his closing argument, told the jury time is something Mead, 41, could not get back in those early morning hours on Sept. 11, 2015.

'Six minutes is all she needed to get back,” Schier said. 'It takes six minutes to strangle someone - for them to die.”

Schier pointed out to the four women and eight men on the jury that Standlee testified he was the only one with Mead at the bus stop on First Avenue NE and College Drive on the Coe College campus in Cedar Rapids before her death. He said Mead's boyfriend, Royce Carlson, had left them earlier in the evening on Sept. 10.

Schier also pointed out video footage showing Standlee and Mead buying Four Loko malt liquor, which was found at the bus stop. The can had fingerprints of Standlee and Mead and a mixture of both their DNA, he said.

Schier asked the jurors to think about Standlee's police interview, given five days after her death, and how his versions of events unfolded, from him not remembering and not being at the bus stop or touching her, to them kissing and her stopping him. She then fell on the ground and, Schier said, Standlee he knew she was dead.

'Standlee told the investigator he was the last one to see her alive,” Schier said.

Then, during his testimony in court, more than a year later, Schier pointed out he vividly remembered them being together all night and going to the bus stop and when she fell, she was OK, and she was sleeping when he left to go get food.

'He told Investigator (Jeff) Holst he was panicked because he strangled to death Sharon Mead,” Schier said.

He urged jurors to look at Mead's injuries, the signs of the strangulation and think about Standlee applying pressure to her neck for six minutes.

Grinde, during his closing statement, pointed out that the medical examiner said it usually takes six minutes for someone to die by strangulation, because the victim is fighting for their life.

'Someone would be scratching and clawing at the person trying to take their life,” he said. 'Travis Standlee had no injuries or marks on him. That's a fact.”

Grinde told jurors to look at the 'hard, cold evidence” and medical science in the case. No hair, body fluids, DNA, fingerprints or palm prints from Standlee were found on Mead's body.

He also asked them to consider the items found at the scene that were not tested - cigarette butts, a cookie wrapper and slice of pizza in plastic wrap.

'Whose food was it?” Grinde asked. 'These items that have no reason to be there but inquiries were not made.”

Grinde said the investigation was 'shoddy,” pointing out Holst failed to request testing of items, failed to write a report about Kwik Shop surveillance video he says he got last year and failed to talk to Coe security about a person they said was walking away about 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2015.

He also asked the jury to think about the fact that Standlee returned to the crime scene, which doesn't make sense if he knew she was dead.

'Standlee is a ‘traveler,' he has all his belongings with him,” Grinde said. 'He doesn't have to go back. If Standlee sees the flashing (police) lights, why would he ... he's seen on the video walking by.”

Schier on rebuttal pointed out just because it doesn't make sense and Standlee went back to the crime scene doesn't mean he's innocent. And because Standlee wasn't injured doesn't mean he's innocent.

'He killed a drunk woman,” Schier said. 'Standlee was in the military and worked as a bouncer. He knows how to take care of himself.

'All the evidence points to Standlee.”