March 18, 2024

Jury convicts 76-year-old man of stabbing death

DES MOINES — A 76-year-old man has been found guilty of stabbing to death his former landlord in Des Moines.

A Polk County jury returned the verdict Tuesday, convicting Norman Wadsworth of second-degree murder in the slaying of Rebecca Crook in October 2014.

Authorities say Crook had evicted Wadsworth from an apartment complex after he threatened her and another person. Wadsworth spent almost six months in jail for that incident.

Prosecutors say Wadsworth sought vengeance against Crook. Wadsworth’s attorneys argued that his mental health problems made him incapable of forming the specific intent to kill Crook.