Man convicted of 1976 murder at Keokuk tavern dies in prison

KEOKUK — A man convicted of a southeast Iowa murder that happened 45 years ago has died of natural causes in an Iowa prison.

Ular Winfun shot Morris Green to death on July 31, 1976, in the back of the Six-Pack Tavern in Keokuk. The two men had worked together on a painting crew for some time. There was “bad blood” between the two according to an Iowa Supreme Court ruling on the case and the court outlined the events that led up to the shooting.

Winfun had his girlfriend buy a gun, he did some target shooting that afternoon and that July evening back in 1976 he was at the tavern, drinking both beer and Tequila Sunrise cocktails according to the court record. After Green got to the tavern, Winfun shot Green once. After Green fell to the floor, Winfun fired five more shots into Green’s body. Winfun then left the tavern, walked to the Keokuk Police Station and turned himself in.

Winfun died yesterday at the age of 66, according to a news release from the Iowa Department of Corrections. He’s been in prison since February of 1977. The Iowa Supreme Court rejected Winfun’s request for a new trial in 1978 and ruled there was “more than ample evidence” he was guilty of first degree murder.