The biggest murder trial in western Iowa’s Shelby County in nearly 30 years may soon be over. The defense team for Dixie Shanahan, the Defiance woman accused of murdering her husband, rested its case yesterday after calling more than a dozen witnesses to the stand. All the witnesses were friends, neighbors or acquaintances of the Shanahans. All described the times they had seen Dixie with bruises, and all described Dixie’s husband, Scott, as having a short temper. Closing arguments in the case will be given this morning. Then, the case goes to the jury for deliberation. If convicted of first-degree murder, Dixie Shanahan could face life in prison. The jury could also find her guilty of a lesser charge, such as involuntary manslaughter.
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