The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the second-degree murder conviction against a Waterloo man found guilty of stabbing a Mason City man to death.
In April of 2012, James Farnsworth of Waterloo stabbed Ian Decker to death in Mason City. Farnsworth was dating Victoria Miller at the time and Decker, the man he stabbed, had previously dated Miller and the two had a child. During the trial Farnsworth said he had acted in self-defense after Decker swung at him. A jury found Farnsworth guilty of second-degree murder and the mandatory sentence for the crime means he’ll have to spend at least 35 years in prison.
Farnsworth appealed, claiming his conduct earlier in the evening — before the stabbing — should not have been discussed during his trial. Farnsworth also said his Miranda Rights had been violated. The Court of Appeals rejected his arguments and upheld his conviction.