Mary Rogness's - Spouse of first cousin twice removed

MUSCATINE JOURNAL July 9, 1986

VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, Woman is charged here in
husband's death.

A Muscatine woman was arrested and charged Tuesday with voluntary
manslaughter in connection with the stragulation death of her husband.
Dulcia Yerington, 58, 1113 E. 8th St., is charged with strangling her
husband, Charles, who was found dead in the couple's home early Sunday
morning. Capt. Ron Martin of the Muscatine Police Department said the
woman voluntarily came to the Public Safety Building at noon Tuesday.
She was questioned on the charge, Martin said.
Voluntary manslaughter is a Class C felony that carries a prison term of up
to 10 years and a fine of up to $10,000.
At an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon, Associate District Judge
James Weaver appointed public defender John Wunder as Yerington's
attorney and set bond at $23,000. A pre-release investigation was also
ordered, according to court documents.
Muscatine County Attorney Stephen J. Petersen said Yerington was taken
to Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute for "preliminary psychiatric
evaluation" Petersen said she will be returned for a second court
appearance at 8 a.m. Friday at Muscatine General Hospital. She will
remain in police custody while hospitalized, Petersen said.
Court documents say a preliminary hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. July 15.
Martin said the strangulation was "an outgrowth of a domestic quarrel."
The woman reported to police at 1:13 p.m. Saturday that her husband was
two hours late in returning home. When Yerington returned home late
Saturday afternoon, a quarrel broke out.
"According to Mrs. Yerington, she thought he was downtown drinking,"
Martin said. He also indicated the couple had a history of domestic
disputes.
Martin said an abrasion and bleeding on the dead man's forhead would
indicate that a fight had taken place.
"It would be speculation on my part to describe what happened after
Yerington returned home." Martin said. "A preliminary oral statement from
the pathologist said strangulation was the cause of death." according to
Martin. Reports said Yerington had a bad heart and was on medication.
Once heart attack was ruled out as the cause of death, police were able to
investigate other possibilities, the captain said.
The autopsy did indicate that a ligature, or an item that can be tied or
bound, was used to strangle Yerington late Saturday night.
Police Monday executed a search warrent at the house and seized several
items. The items included a blood spot from a carpet, a plastic bag
containing four drop cords, a sheet from the upstairs bed, a blue nightgown
from an upstairs bedroom, two telephone cords, binoculars, a brown
towel, seven table lamps, and a black porcelain lamp.
The items were sent to the DCI criminalistics lab in Des Moines for
analysis. "We think we have the item that was used but I cannot identify it."
Martin said.
According to initial reports, Dulcia Yerington notified authorities at 6:21
a.m. Sunday that she had discovered her husband dead. The man was
dead and lying on the living room floor when emergency medical technician
arrived on the scene.
Investigating the "questioned death case" were the Muscatine Police
Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Muscatine
County Attorney.

MUSCATINE JOURNAL July 11, 1986
A non-public court proceeding regarding Dulcia Yerington, 58, 1113 E.
8th St. was held this morning at Muscatine General Hospital.
County attorney Stephen J. Petersen said he could not comment on the
proceedings. Yerington's attorney, public defender, John Wunder, said he
was not at liberty to comment to the media.
Yerington is charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection with the
strangulation death of her husband, Charles Yerington, 58. The man was
found dead in the couple's home early Sunday morning by emergency
medical technicians.
A preliminary autopsy report indicated strangulation as the cause of death.
Authorities also executed a search warrent to seize several items from the
home which could be used a ligature.
Petersen said he would file a trial information in the case Monday, with
arraignment set for July 21.
Yerington remains in custody at the Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute
under $23,000 bond.

MUSCATINE JOURNAL, July 1986

Dulcia Yerington, 58, 1113 E. 8th St, charged with the strangulation death
of her husband, suffers from "mental problems" which may force court
proceedings to be suspended, according to documents filed Monday in
Muscatine County District Court.
Yerington was charged with voluntary manslaughter after she allegedly
strangled her husband, Charles, 58, in the couple's home July 5 following a
domestic dispute.
A hearing to suspend court proceedings in the case was scheduled for 9
a.m. Monday at the request of county Attorney Stephen J. Petersen.
A preliminary examination of Yerington, conducted at Mount Pleasant
Mental Health Center, "would indicated the defendant is suffering from
atypical psychosis" documents say. A psychosic is definetly a major mental
disorder in which the personality is disorganized and contact with reality is
usually impaired.
According to Iowa code, court proceedings must be suspended whenever
the defendant appears to suffer from a mental disorder.
Petersen said the hearing would determine if Yerington is able to
understand the charges against her and to assist in her defense. The
proceedings would be temporarily suspended until a court ruled she had
the neccessary understanding of the charges against her.
The hearing is not a mental competency hearing, Petersen said.
"A mental competency hearing would determine whether is persn is a
danger to themselves or others," he said.
Reading from a preliminary medical examiner's report. Petersen said
Charles Yerington died at approximately 10:15 p.m. July 5. Strangulation
was the cause of death as ligature marks were found on Yeringotn's neck,
the report said. Ligature is any item that can be tied or bound.
Several items that could be used a ligature or which contained blood stains
were seized as a result of execution of a search warrent. The items were
taken to the Division of Criminal Investigation criminalistics lab in Des
Moines.
Petersen said it is not yet known what item was used in the strangulation
death, but the Associated Press reported Monday Yerington "told police
she had strangled her husband with the straps of his blue body building
shirt."
Petersen said that Yerington had also told police she used a telephone
cord to strangle her husband so he would stop hurting her.
Capt. Ron Martin of the Muscatine Police Department said he could not
comment on the question of what item was used in connection with the
death.
Police previously reported the death was an outgrowth of a domestic
quarrel when Charles Yerington returned home two hours late Saturday
afternoon, July 5. The couple had had a history of domestic disputes,
police said.
Dulcia Yerington reported the death to authorities at 6:21 a.m. July 6. She
voluntarily went to the Public Safety Building July 8, whre she was
questioned and charged with voluntary manslaughter.
Yerington is represented by public defender John wunder. Her bond was
set at $23,000 and she is held in custody at the Mount Pleasant Mental
Health Center.