Appeals Court denies new trial for Shelby Duis’ mother

The Iowa Court of Appeals has rejected a Spirit Lake woman’s attempt to get a new trial on charges she knew her baby girl was being beaten. The January 2000 beating death of two-year-old Shelby Duis sparked an outcry, and Shelby’s mother and boyfriend were charged with murder. The boyfriend was acquitted, but Heidi Watkins, the child’s mom, was found guilty of child endangerment. She appealed that conviction, arguing she didn’t have the mental capacity to understand that Shelby, who had all sorts of broken bones and bruises, was being abused. Watkins also claims the prosecutor used different tactics or theories in her trial, which came after boyfriend Jessie Wendelsdorf was acquitted. The Iowa Court of Appeals has rejected those arguments, as well as Watkins’ request for a new trial based on new evidence from a woman who says Wendelsdorf now admits he did abuse and kill Shelby. The Court said the woman “lacked credibility.”