Appeals Court rejects Norwalk man’s request for new trial

The Norwalk man who was found guilty of killing his wife, three kids and two children who were visitors in his home before trying to kill himself back in 1993 has been complaining about the work of his trial lawyer. Rich Forsyth’s attorney initially planned to rely on an insanity defense, but during the trial, Forsyth’s lawyer argued there was enough evidence at the scene — including someone else’s blood — to indicate someone else had committed the murders. A jury, however, found Forsyth guilty on all six counts of first-degree murder. Forsyth has complained he didn’t get good advice from his lawyers during that trial, or during his first round of appeals in the case. The judges on the Iowa Court of Appeals say they will not “second guess” trial strategy just because it wasn’t successful in getting Forsyth acquitted. The Court also rejected Forsyth’s claim that he wasn’t competent to stand trial because he was mentally ill.