Kasemeier expected to change plea to guilty on charge of Murder in the Second Degree

Brandon Kasemeier, the now 40-year-old man from Waukon charged in the January 21 death of his estranged wife, Jami Kasemeier, will be changing his plea in the case, according to a Motion for Further Proceedings filed by his attorney and an order issued by Iowa First Judicial District Court Judge Alan Heavens Friday, April 19. Kasemeier was scheduled for jury trial in the case on a charge of First Degree Murder May 15 of this year, with a pre-trial conference scheduled for Monday, April 22, but both proceedings were canceled following Friday’s filing of his change in plea by Kasemeier’s public defender, Aaron Hawbaker of Waterloo.

Upon the filing of Friday’s motion by Hawbaker on behalf of Kasemeier, Allamakee County Attorney Anthony Gericke said that following discussion between the prosecution and the defense in the case, the two sides reached an agreement that Kasemeier will be pleading guilty to a charge of Murder in the Second Degree. Gericke explained that such a charge comes with a sentence of 50 years in prison with a mandatory 70% of that 50-year sentence required to be served - 35 years - before any consideration of parole, meaning Kasemeier will be in prison until he’s at least 75 years of age.

According to legal definition, a component of specific intent or premeditation is the main difference in proving First Degree Murder over Second Degree Murder.

“The (Iowa) Attorney General’s office and the Public Defender’s office came to an agreement on the guilty plea to Second Degree Murder,” Gericke said. “We had discussions with the victim’s family, and they were on board with the plea agreement. We were looking at the very real possibility of a change of venue for the trial, and there was going to be some pretty hard evidence being presented, so this plea also allows everyone to avoid having to go through and relive all of that again as well.”

Kasemeier had originally entered a written plea of not guilty March 11 of this year to the initial charge of Murder in the First Degree in the case after the January 22 discovery of his wife’s body in his Waukon residence and his coinciding journey by vehicle to Colorado, where he was arrested by Larimer County, CO Sheriff Department deputies within 24 hours of that discovery made in his home in Waukon. He was extradited back to Allamakee County in mid-February and has been held in the Allamakee County Jail since, initially on no bond and then on a $1,000,000 cash only bond based on his fleeing the state of Iowa.

As part of that March 11 arraignment document filed on behalf of Kasemeier, he had also demanded a speedy trial in the case, with Iowa Rules of Criminal Procedure guaranteeing the right to a trial within 90 days after filing of the trial information in the case, which took place February 22 of this year.

Since that March 11 arraignment and ongoing discussion between the two sides in the case, a Waiver of Speedy Trial was filed by Hawbaker on behalf of Kasemeier April 2 of this year, setting the stage for possible further discussion beyond the Iowa Code’s 90-day trial requirement, and laying the ground work for the plea agreement to be reached.

The Motion for Further Proceedings filed April 19 by Hawbaker stated the motion was “for the purpose of a change of a plea and sentencing as the parties have reached an agreement.” The order issued by Judge Heavens in response to that motion has now resulted in the plea and sentencing hearing for Kasemeier being scheduled for Monday, May 20 at 1 p.m. at the Allamakee County Courthouse.