A northeast Iowa man, accused of killing his wife, is seeking a change of venue for his trial, which is currently slated to start next month.
40-year-old Brandon Kasemeier is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his estranged wife, Jami Kasemeier, found dead inside their Waukon residence on January 22nd. Waukon Police also recovered an empty handgun case and several fired .22 caliber cartridge casings.
It’s believed Jami Kasemeier was killed on January 21st, the last day family members say they heard from her. On January 23rd, Brandon Kasemeier was arrested some 900 miles away in Loveland, Colorado, by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities allegedly found a .22 (caliber) revolver in his car, believed to be the murder weapon.
Kasemeier initially pleaded not guilty, but then appeared ready to agree to a plea deal in June and his trial in Allamakee County District Court was cancelled. However, no plea was entered and no sentence was handed out and, in August, his trial date was re-set for January 29, 2025, which will be just over one year after the death of Jami Kasemeier.
On Friday, Kasemeier filed a motion seeking a change of venue citing extensive pretrial media publicity that will make it impossible for a fair trial. The defense also argues, “Because the population of Allamakee County is relatively low and the alleged crime in this case is one of the two murders that occurred in the county in the last eight years, there is a substantial likelihood that a fair and impartial jury cannot be selected for Defendant’s trial in Allamakee County.”
A hearing on Kasemeier’s motion has been scheduled for December 30th. At the same time, a judge will consider Kasemeier’s request for information on potential jurors in his case. The State has resisted, noting that jurors would not want their personal information in the hands of a man accused of murder.
Court records show that Kasemeier intends to rely on a defense that he was intoxicated at the time of his wife’s death.
