SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) - A Sioux City man was convicted Wednesday in the 2015 death of a woman who authorities said was stabbed 23 times.
Judge Steven Andreasen’s verdict against Isack Abdinur followed a three-day nonjury trial in November that reviewed the death of Cornelia Stead, 43, according to the Sioux City Journal (https://bit.ly/2iEPoZ5 ).
Andreasen said the state’s evidence showed Abdinur, 36, stabbed Stead willfully and with the intent to commit murder.
“The defendant failed to prove he was insane at the time,” Andreasen said in announcing his decision. Abdinur was convicted of first-degree murder.
Prosecutors said Abdinur stabbed Stead in her Sioux City apartment on June 23, 2015. The two were romantic partners, according to police.
Two psychologists testified that Abdinur is a violent schizophrenic. But the defense expert said Abdinur didn’t know what he was doing when he attacked Stead, while the prosecution’s expert testified that Abdinur knew he’d done something wrong and understood his actions.
The Sioux City Journal reported Abdinur showed little emotion following the judge’s decision.
An attorney for Abdinur, who will remain in jail pending a sentencing hearing, declined to comment. Assistant Woodbury County Attorney James Loomis said he would have no comment until after the sentencing. A date for the hearing hasn’t been set yet.
Shauna Avery, Stead’s niece, told the newspaper that she had wanted the conviction. She added that Stead’s death “tore our family apart in a lot of different ways.”
“This verdict is helping our family get back together,” she said.
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Information from: Sioux City Journal, https://www.siouxcityjournal.com
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