Mason City man’s murder, arson trial pushed back to May

MASON CITY — A Mason City man first-degree murder trial scheduled for later this month has been pushed back to May.

Mason City police arrested 28-year-old Dominick Degner on December 17th. Firefighters responded to 123 North Tennessee Avenue on the morning of September 7th and later found 24-year-old Tonette Wolfe dead in the home that the two shared. A criminal complaint filed in Cerro Gordo County District Court says Degner caused fatal injuries to Wolfe including blunt force trauma, a broken rib, punctured lung and a partially broken hyoid bone. Degner is then accused of setting fire to the victim’s body and the house in an attempt to conceal the crime.

Degner pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and first-degree arson in mid-January. He was scheduled to be in court today for a pre-trial conference prior to a scheduled April 19th trial, but court records show a continuance was granted on Monday, pushing the trial back to May 17th.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Degner would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the opportunity for parole. First-degree arson is a Class B felony, punishable by up to 25 years in prison.