Iowa Supreme Court denies further reviews of Mason City manslaughter, Winnebago County sexual abuse cases

The Iowa Supreme Court has denied further review of two north-central Iowa cases, one involving a Mason City man convicted of voluntary manslaughter, the other involving a Britt man sentenced to life in prison for sexual abuse.  

== 23-year-old Braedon Bowers was convicted by a Cerro Gordo County jury in 2018 of voluntary manslaughter after being charged with first-degree murder in the May 2017 stabbing death of Wraymond Todd. Bowers in March lost an appeal of his case to the Iowa Court of Appeals. He contended in that appeal that his trial counsel was ineffective for not arguing he was entitled to judgement of acquittal based on justification. The Court of Appeals ruled that because prosecutors presented sufficient evidence to disprove justification that Bowers could not show prejudice and affirmed his conviction. 

== 50-year-old Chad Bonner was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted during a bench trial of two counts of second-degree sexual abuse after being accused of sexually assaulting two girls under the age of 12 between January 2005 and September 2008 in Winnebago County. His sentenced was enhanced to life in prison due to previously being convicted of sexual abuse in May 1991. The Iowa Court of Appeals in March affirmed Bonner’s conviction. He had appealed saying that District Judge Gregg Rosenbladt erred and abused his discretion in many respects, and also contended his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance. The Court of Appeals denied his appeal, saying substantial evidence supported his conviction and they did not find the district court abused its discretion.

The Iowa Supreme Court denied both Bowers’ and Bonner’s requests for further review on Thursday.