OTTUMWA —
I’m sorry, jurors, but you must keep working.
Judge Daniel Wilson brought the jury into the courtroom after 4 p.m. Thursday.
After just over three days of discussion and review of evidence, they still had not decided on the guilt or innocence of Seth Techel, 22 of Agency. He’s the man charged with first-degree murder and non-consensual termination of a human pregnancy in the shooting death of his wife, Lisa Techel, 23.
Though Judge Wilson did not give details publicly in open court, he told the jury that he had received their written question at 3:30 p.m.
“I do not have an answer for you at this time,” he told jurors.
Furthermore, he said, he would not ask them for any answers to questions he might have about the jury deliberation process that involve “numbers,” and that he does not want them to volunteer information about the jury that would involve “numbers” to him.
He said he would consider their concern, but in the meantime, because of the nature of the case, he must ask them to return to their deliberations. Jurors appeared tired, and at least one seemed to quietly begin crying when the judge told them they’d have to keep debating the evidence.
“I apologize,” Wilson said gently, “but I believe it’s the right thing to do.”
He said he was very appreciative of the hard work they’d put into the case already: The case started with two days of jury selection beginning Feb. 19.
Deliberations started Monday afternoon. Jurors continued debating Tuesday, Wednesday and all day Thursday.
“There are no set rules concerning the duration of jury deliberation,” Judge Wilson said in reference to a general question from the Courier. “It is very much discretionary with the Court, after input from counsel for the parties, how long a jury is permitted to deliberate.”
That’s the general rule for all trials.
More specifically in the State v. Techel case, he said, he had just finished a meeting with the attorneys and Seth Techel present.
That meeting, at 3:30 p.m., was when the decision was made that at least for now, “the jury will be permitted to continue its deliberation.”
CNHI/Southeast Iowa
Techel jury ends Thursday without verdict
- CNHI/Southeast Iowa
-
-
Kebabs: Health kick on a stick
Grilling is a simple way to feed your family well this summer. Start with a lean meat and a healthful marinade and then allow the grill to strip away additional fat for a heart-healthy and waist-friendly final result. Plus, grilling caramelizes the natural sugars in foods, which adds flavor without additional calories and fat.
-
Boy Scouts: Yes to gay youths, no to adults
The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its ban on openly gay youths but maintained a prohibition on gay adult leaders, a decision framed as a compromise but one that could lead to litigation and thousands of defections from one of America's largest youth organizations.
-
Rain for Memorial Day weekend, but not a washout
Forecasters say this weekend will see good chances of rain, but they don't expect a complete washout since the highest chance of storms is in the overnight and early morning hours.
-
Expert: Schools need shelters
Ninety-four percent of Oklahoma schools do not have tornado shelters, according to Gov. Mary Fallin, even though at least one weather expert says they should be standard. With two Moore schools destroyed in Monday’s EF-5 tornado — and ...
-
Twitter introduces website security tool after AP account hacked
Twitter is adding a new security tool to its website, making it harder for outsiders to gain access to accounts, a month after a false posting triggered a stock-market decline.
-
Siblings withstand storm in fridge
Brother and sister co-owners of a Chinese takeout restaurant huddled inside a refrigerator to survive Monday’s deadly tornado that claimed 24 lives.
-
Mom delivered baby as tornado struck
Shayla Taylor was so far along in labor that her nurses at Moore Medical Center decided not to move her when Monday's tornado hit. They waited out the storm in an operating room, where the wall disappeared as the tornado hit the building.
-
Stabbing trial pushed back
OTTUMWA -- The trial of an Ottumwa man accused of stabbing another man to death has been pushed back. Twenty-year-old Brandon Seim was charged in November 2011, when he was 18, with the stabbing death of Andy Madren, 34. When officers arrived at the
-
Offering a few helping hands
Two area women formed a business around the idea that people who have lost loved ones may need assistance in getting estates squared away.
-
TIMELAPSE: Take a tour through the damage in Moore
Take a driving tour of the damage in Moore caused by Monday's tornado.
-
Mayor wants tornado shelters in new homes
Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis wants tornado shelters in all new homes in his city, where an EF-5 tornado damaged or destroyed more than 12,500 homes Monday afternoon. A proposed ordinance would require a shelter inside or outside each new residence.
-
Officials release storm survey results
DES MOINES -- Officials with the National Weather Service have released a report on this week's severe weather, confirming that three tornadoes hit Iowa. That broke a nearly year-long streak without tornadoes in the state.
-
AUDIO: Residents share their tornado experiences
Moore, Okla., residents talk about living through Monday's EF-5 tornado.
-
In fan fiction, your favorite characters do what you want them to
When J.J. Abrams took over the "Star Trek" franchise in 2009, he boldly went where the series hadn't gone before — romantically — pairing Uhura with Spock. Many fans disliked the change. Some loved it. Others didn't care, because they just wanted to see Kirk and Spock make out.
-
VIDEO: Orlando shootout tied to Boston bomb suspect
The FBI says it was involved in a fatal shooting near Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. CBS News senior correspondent John Miller reports that the victim was a friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother suspected in the Boston Marathon bombing.
- More CNHI/Southeast Iowa Headlines
-
