Appeals Court to Hear Arguments in Bentler Case

By Becky Ogann

DES MOINES (AP) - The Iowa Court of Appeals heard arguments today in the case of a man convicted in the shooting deaths of his parents and three teenage sisters.

Shawn Bentler was convicted of five counts of first-degree murder in May 2007 and is serving five life sentences. Authorities say he drove from his home in Quincy, Illinois, in October 2006 and murdered his family in their rural Bonaparte home in southeastern Iowa.

Bentler is seeking a new trial

His lawyer argued that clothing he was wearing when he was arrested shouldn't have been used as evidence at his trial.

A key piece of the prosecution's evidence was a pair of socks Bentler was wearing when he was arrested. On them was a drop of his mother's blood placing him at the scene of the murders.
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Thursday, Oct 9 at 9:51 AM Oh I don' t know! wrote ...

Or how about the 911 call from his little sister screaming and begging him to stop? Was that not legit?

Wednesday, Oct 8 at 12:37 PM Early Release wrote ...

Help me here - If I stab and kill my family the prosecution couldn't use the blood on the knife thats in my hand as evidence of guilt?? Guess we better set all murderers free..

Wednesday, Oct 8 at 12:16 PM Anonymous wrote ...

Tax money put to good use I see. Need to bring back the good ole days of going straight from the courthouse to the gallows.

Wednesday, Oct 8 at 12:15 PM TWoods wrote ...

What a waste of the taxpayers money!!! (again)

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