Authorities in northwest Iowa have seized bedding and other evidence from a hotel room in the Sac County town of Early. It’s the room where the man acquitted in a child killing case allegedly spent the night this week with a woman. Dickinson County Attorney Ned Bjornstad says Jesse Wendelsdorf may’ve lied about his relationship with Julie Ballantini.Ballantini tape-recorded Wendelsdorf’s alleged confession in the killing of 2-year-old Shelby Duis in Spirit Lake. Duis’ mother, Heidi Watkins, awaits sentencing. Bjornstad says Ballantini’s claim is in question that she and Wendelsdorf were not and never had been sleeping together.Wendelsdorf says he told Ballantini “fantasies” about the killing of Duis. He claims he didn’t commit the crime but told Ballantini he did to impress her. He was cleared of murder and sexual abuse charges in July. Duis died in January.
