(Spencer)– A Spencer man convicted in the shooting death of his wife will remain in jail the rest of his life.
The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the first degree murder conviction of Harold Duncan, who was convicted last year of shooting his wife Kay in their Spencer mobile home after she threatened to leave Duncan after years of phyiscal and emotional abuse.
Attorneys for Duncan filed an appeal claiming district court judge Frank Nelson was wrong when he allowed evidence in testimony that Duncan was an abusive alcoholic and controlled every aspect of his wife’s life. The Court of Appeals ruled that testimony by Duncan’s daughters was NOT prejudicial and was proper to show Duncan’s attitudes as well as his intent and motive at the time of his wife’s murder.
On January 12, 2003, Kay Duncan was shot twice with a shotgun. After shooting Kay Harold Duncan shot himself in the face in an unsuccessful suicide attempt. After Spencer Police found his wife’s body in their mobile home Duncan admitted atleast four times to investigators that he had shot and killed his wife during an argument. But while on the stand during his trial, Duncan claimed he was drugged and confused when questioned by investigators.
After two and-a-half hours of deliberation, a jury found Duncan guilty of first degree murder. He’s serving a life prison sentence.
(Story from Danielle Hitchings of sister station KDWD Hot 100 in Spencer.).
