Nathaniel Byron Kassel (O’Brien County Detention Heart)
A 42-year-old man in Iowa will spend the rest of his days behind bars for killing his mom earlier this 12 months, fatally capturing the 62-year-old lady with one among her weapons inside their residence.
Nathaniel Byron Kassel — who texted his spouse that he deliberate to kill his mother simply earlier than he allegedly went by way of with the deed — appeared in O’Brien County Courtroom on Monday, the place he formally pleaded responsible to 1 rely of first-degree homicide within the March 2023 slaying of Jody Lynn Duskin, authorities confirmed to Legislation&Crime. District Courtroom Choose John M. Sandy sentenced Kassel to life in a state correctional facility with out the chance for parole.
Choose Sandy additionally ordered Kassel to pay $150,000 in restitution to the heirs of his mom’s property.
Earlier than being sentenced, the county’s sufferer witness coordinator learn a sufferer affect assertion penned by Kim Lange, Kassel’s sister and Duskin’s daughter, in accordance with a report from The N’West Iowa Overview.
“March 23, 2023, was the worst day of her life,” the assertion reportedly mentioned, referring to their mom. “You drugged her earlier than you shot her. You took my mother. That’s proper, I mentioned my mother. Whenever you determined to drug her earlier than you pulled that set off, you stopped being her son. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to her.”
Lange added that in killing Duskin, Kassel took “my lifeline and greatest good friend from me.”
Kassel’s spouse of 13 years additionally reportedly addressed the courtroom, saying Kassel had been within the throes of a psychological breakdown when he killed his mom and had referred to as her the day past and mentioned he was “seeing those who weren’t actual” and had tried to kill himself.
“His sister and I’ve been pals since we had been 14,” Kassel’s spouse reportedly mentioned. “My coronary heart hurts for my youngsters. My coronary heart hurts for my household. Jody [Duskin] was a beautiful lady, a beautiful mother, a beautiful nana, and we miss her so much.
In line with a press launch from the Iowa Division of Public Security, officers with the Sheldon Police Division responded to a name at about 4 p.m. on March 23 about an grownup feminine discovered useless in a house within the 600 block of Fourth Avenue in Sheldon, about 225 miles northwest of Des Moines.
An unnamed member of the family found Duskin’s physique. She had been useless for a number of hours. An post-mortem carried out by the Iowa Workplace of the State Medical Examiner two days later decided that Duskin died on March 23. Her method of demise was decided to be a murder, and the reason for demise was decided to be two gunshot wounds to the pinnacle.
At about midday on March 24, authorities in South Dakota discovered Kassel in Flandreau and positioned him beneath arrest. The Santee Sioux Tribe police chief noticed the 2013 Ford Edge registered to Duskin on the Royal River On line casino & Resort and took him into custody on the close by Native Nations Hashish Dispensary.
He was discovered with two handguns taken from his mom’s residence.
In line with the possible trigger affidavit, Kassel despatched a textual content message at about 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22, to a number of relations, together with his spouse, stating, “I’m killing Jody,” referring to his mom. A number of hours later, at about 11:30 p.m., he was overheard having a telephone dialog through which he mentioned he had “made a mistake and damage somebody.”
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