Supreme Court upholds Spencer man's murder conviction

DUNCAN

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 1/27/2021 at 19:27:52

The Iowa Supreme Court Friday upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a Spencer, Iowa, man.

Harold Arthur Duncan, 71 at the time of his arrest, was convicted in Clay County District Court for the January 2003 slaying of his wife, Karen Kay Duncan, 62.

She died after being shot twice. Her body was found in the couple's motor home in Spencer. Harold Duncan was found seriously injured and lying next to her in bed.

During the investigation he admitted that he shot his wife. But his conversations with officers varied, court documents state.

In one conversation he said she had the gun first, in another he said he shot her during an argument and in another he said he shot her while taking the gun away from her.

In January 2004, a jury found him guilty and sentenced him to life in prison.

He appealed, contending the court erred in admitting evidence of his character and prior bad acts as improper rebuttal evidence.

In May, the Iowa Court of Appeals upheld the conviction, concluding that the evidence of prior bad acts was admissible since it was relevant to the case.

The Supreme Court concurred, ruling that Duncan's defense had relied on past evidence of abuse to support a self-defense claim at trial. Duncan can not argue now on appeal that such evidence was irrelevant and prejudicial, the court ruled.

From Sioux City Journal Feb 18, 2006

***********************************

A Spencer, Iowa man who killed his wife in 2003 died Tuesday in prison.

Harold Duncan, 89, died due to complications related to COVID-19 and other preexisting medical conditions in a hospice room of the Iowa Medical and Classification Center, the Iowa Department of Corrections said in a news release.

Duncan was convicted of first-degree murder in Clay County District Court in 2004 and sentenced to life in prison for the January 2003 slaying of his wife Karen Duncan, 62.

Karen Duncan was shot twice, and her body was found in the couple's motor home in Spencer. Harold Duncan was found seriously injured from an apparent suicide attempt lying next to her in bed.

From Sioux City Journal January 27, 2021