Murder trial turns graphic in Iowa City case

Graphic medical evidence dominated Tuesday’s testimony in the double-murder trial of Jonathan Memmer in Iowa City. The 26-year-old Memmer of Marshalltown is charged with killing Maria Lehner and Laura Dalton in March of 1999, then setting the Iowa City apartment on fire. A deputy medical examiner, who did the autopsies on the women, testified they both died of repeated blows to the head, not from the fire. Also, Dalton may not have died right away, in fact, it may have been several hours after being struck. Up to 80 witnesses may be called in the case, what may be the most expensive trial in Johnson County history.