Rodney Heemstra, a milo farmer convicted for the murder of his neighbor Tom Lyon, walked out of the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility a free man this week. Heemstra, who spent four years and four months behind bars for slaying his neighbor at close range with a single rifle shot to the head, claimed that he had killed him in self defense after he lunged at him. The two farmers often had confrontations over land and cattle watering equipment.
Rural Warren County residents still harbor deep animosity towards Heemstra owing to which he is not expected to return there.
Heemstra was first convicted of first- degree murder in 2003 and was sentenced to life in prison following which, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that he deserved a new trial in 2006. Last year, as a result of his second trial, he was convicted of manslaughter and received credit for his previous prison term thus making him a free man this year.
A Warren County judge had initially awarded Lyon’s family $11.5 million in damages based on the murder conviction. This decision was declared invalid by a three judge panel of the Iowa Supreme Court. A wrongful death civil trial is set to begin next week based on a lawsuit filed by Lyon’s family who will be allowed to seek punitive damages since Heemstra was clearly liable for Lyon’s death.
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