March 19, 2024

Deliberations to resume at Iowa man’s murder trial

DAVENPORT (AP) — A jury will resume deliberations Thursday at the trial of an Iowa man charged with killing his pregnant wife.

The jury is considering whether Seth Techel is guilty of first-degree murder and nonconsensual termination of a human pregnancy. The 23-year-old who once dreamed of a law enforcement career faces life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors say Techel shot his wife, Lisa, while she slept in their trailer in rural southeastern Iowa in May 2012. She was 17 weeks pregnant with the couple’s first child.

Seth Techel says that he was in the shower when he heard a loud noise, came out to find his wife dying, and dialed 911.

The jury started deliberating Wednesday following a weeklong trial. Two previous trials in the case have ended with hung juries.