Battle over evidence continues in controversial abuse case

One of the people accused of murdering a Spirit Lake toddler went to court with his lawyers yesterday to try to get specific evidence presented during his trial. Lawyers for 25-year-old Jesse Wendelsdorf want to present evidence to the jury that two-year-old Shelby Duis was abused by her mother, Heidi Watkins, before Wendelsdorf ever started dating her. Wendelsdorf’s lawyers want to submit conversations Shelby’s mother had with Department of Human Services investigators and with police. Wendelsdorf and Watkins are both charged with murder for the January beating death of two-year-old Shelby.Prosecutors, however, argued in court yesterday that conversations the child’s mother had with police and D-H-S investigators were “hearsay” which should NOT be admitted during her boyfriend’s trial. A judge will rule in the next few days on what may be admitted in the courtroom, as Wendelsdorf’s trial is set to begin July 18th in Storm Lake.