Man Pleads Not Guilty In Cedar Rapids Woman's Death

By Trish Mehaffey, Reporter

Jerome Power

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By Richard Pratt

Story Created: Oct 13, 2010 at 11:04 AM CDT

Story Updated: Oct 13, 2010 at 3:23 PM CDT

CEDAR RAPIDS - A 48-year-old Cedar Rapids man accused of killing his neighbor last month filed his written plea of not guilty Tuesday in Linn County District Court.

Jerome Power, 48, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Doris Bevins, 68, who was found unconscious with flannel pants wrapped around her neck by police Sept 19 in her apartment at 1211 5th Ave. SE, #2.

Bevins appeared to have been strangled according to police but a cause of death hasn’t been released.

Police responded to Bevins’ apartment after a friend of Bevins heard her scream during their phone conversation. When police arrived, the front door was locked but looking in through a window they could see Bevins lying on the floor.

When police broke a pane of glass on door to enter they found also found Power, an upstairs neighbor, who was hiding behind the entry door, according to a police report.

Police started CPR on Bevins but she died later at the hospital.

Power's trial date is set Nov. 29 and a pre-trial hearing is 1:30 p.m. Nov. 19, according to written arraignment filed Wednesday.

Power remains in the Linn County Jail on a $1 million bond.

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