A Waterloo man already serving time for other convictions was taken from jail cell today to make his first court appearance in the June murder of his live-in girlfriend. Bond has been set at one million dollars for 42-year-old Jerry Newell, who made his first appearance in Black Hawk County court this morning. Newell is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 37-year-old Kathleen Gillen. She was found unconscious in her home June 15th and was later pronounced dead at a Waterloo hospital. Newell was formally charged with murder Monday after a 2-month investigation. Police aren’t releasing the cause of Gillen’s death, but court records indicate she died of trauma to the head and neck. Newell’s trial date has not been set.
