(Spirit Lake)– The defense rested its case and closing arguments were held this (Mon.) morning in the 1st degree murder trial of Allison Decker. Decker, along with Justice Berntson, were charged in the December 2020 death of Angel Bastman at her home in Lake Park. Decker was additionally charged with theft in the 2nd degree and conspiracy to commit a non-forcible felony.
In their closing arguments, the state, represented by Susan Krisko of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, referred to text messages through social media apps, saying they directly implicate Decker…
“She sends a text on 12/28 and she’s the one that’s sending this article about murder. The other person says I know who did it, a dude people call Jay, and it’s going back and forth and this person from what she’s saying, and you have a chance to read it in context, this person is so flaberghasted that they’re like hold up: were you with Jay when it happened? Uh, yeah. That’s the defendant’s answer. Then she sends another article to another person, about the same time, so obviously this idea that she’s so overwrought with guilt and things like that haven’t really occurred to her, because the other person talks about how, gosh, you must feel bad or something and, or before we even get to that, she’s saying I was the person who did do it because the other human there took sh** too far and she had no other choice but to do it.”
The “Jay” in Krisko’s statement refers to Berntson.
In his closing arguments, defense attorney Ned Bjornstad says there’s simply a lack of physical evidence that directly links Decker to Bastman’s death. He also questioned the credibility of some of the state’s witnesses…
“We should disregard the element of the testimony of drug addicts and felons, criminals. We should consider the evidence the state has brought forward, which is none, there is no DNA, no fingerprint evidence. And to my other friends and acquaintances that I know in the gallery, Tom, John, what do I tell them, what can this court tell them? That with no evidence, yeah, you may be convicted of a murder. With no evidence. No physical evidence. No trace evidence. No clothing, no scratch, you can be convicted of murder. And what do I tell my colleagues in law enforcement, those who I respect and admire for the work they do. Do I tell them that’s the status of this law in the state of Iowa now? That you can be convicted of murder on the testimony of drug addicts and felons.”
Judge Shayne Mayer, who heard the testimony during a bench trial that started Tuesday of last week, didn’t give an indication as to when she may render a verdict in the case.
