The trial of a western Iowa woman accused in the shotgun slaying of her spouse starts today. Dixie Shanahan of Defiance is accused of murdering her abusive husband, Scott Shanahan, and hiding his body in a bedroom for more than a year. She was arrested in October, and friends and family members raised the money to bail her out of jail. Shanahan regained custody of her three children and, since her release from jail, has lived in the same home in which she hid her husband’s body. Also since her release, Shanahan has been re-married. Jury selection in Shanahan’s first-degree murder trial will start today in Harlan. The trial is expected to last three weeks. Shanahan’s attorney is expected to argue self-defense, while the prosecution is expected to argue that Shanahan committed a premeditated crime. Shanahan could face life in prison if convicted.
