A former Iowa City Fire Department official has been convicted of second-degree murder for shooting his girlfriend and will likely face life in prison, according to a recent article on sfgate.com.
A jury convicted Thomas Hansen, a former official with the Iowa City Fire Department and Johnson County emergency management of second-degree murder after he was accused of shooting his girlfriend.
The trial lasted a week. The main goal of the trial was to determine the motive Hansen had for shooting his girlfriend. They were working to determine whether he wanted to actually kill his girlfriend when he shot her or he was only intending to scare her.
Hansen admitted to firing a handgun and shooting his longtime girlfriend, Sharon Gerot, in 2011. He fired the gun at her after an argument.
Hansen held that he only fired the shot to scare his girlfriend because she was physically and verbally abusing him, saying that the shot somehow managed to hit her in the left temple from a distance of 70 feet.
The prosecution argued that Hansen loaded his gun and shot it with the knowledge that it could kill his girlfriend. They also noted the fact that he told a neighbor she was dead after the incident.
The original charge the prosecution attempted to get was first-degree murder. The jury rejected this. They also rejected charges of involuntary manslaughter, which would only have been a misdemeanor. Second-degree murder was the settlement reached, which declined an intent to kill.
Hansen will likely face the mandatory 50 years in prison that comes with the charge. He will also probably not be eligible for parole for 35 years. The official sentencing is set for February 1.
Before this, Hansen had a great reputation and had never committed a crime.
A jury convicted Thomas Hansen, a former official with the Iowa City Fire Department and Johnson County emergency management of second-degree murder after he was accused of shooting his girlfriend.
The trial lasted a week. The main goal of the trial was to determine the motive Hansen had for shooting his girlfriend. They were working to determine whether he wanted to actually kill his girlfriend when he shot her or he was only intending to scare her.
Hansen admitted to firing a handgun and shooting his longtime girlfriend, Sharon Gerot, in 2011. He fired the gun at her after an argument.
Hansen held that he only fired the shot to scare his girlfriend because she was physically and verbally abusing him, saying that the shot somehow managed to hit her in the left temple from a distance of 70 feet.
The prosecution argued that Hansen loaded his gun and shot it with the knowledge that it could kill his girlfriend. They also noted the fact that he told a neighbor she was dead after the incident.
The original charge the prosecution attempted to get was first-degree murder. The jury rejected this. They also rejected charges of involuntary manslaughter, which would only have been a misdemeanor. Second-degree murder was the settlement reached, which declined an intent to kill.
Hansen will likely face the mandatory 50 years in prison that comes with the charge. He will also probably not be eligible for parole for 35 years. The official sentencing is set for February 1.
Before this, Hansen had a great reputation and had never committed a crime.
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