No charges will be filed in Mitchell County fatal shooting
(ABC 6 News) – Eight months after Acea Spiegeler died from a gunshot wound, the Mitchell County Attorney’s Office chose not to pursue charges against the shooter.
“The conclusion is that the State would be required to prove the shooting was not justified,” county attorney Aaron Murphy said. “Under these circumstances, the State is not able to prove the shooting was not justified. Therefore, no charges will be filed.”
Spiegeler was shot Friday, Feb. 23 in the 500 block of Walnut Avenue, Riceville. Law enforcement believed the victim and the shooter knew each other, but details were slow to emerge.
There was no arrest.
Over the summer, Murphy told ABC 6 News he was considering convening a grand jury to make a charging decision, given the complexity of the situation.
RELATED: Riceville murder case may go to a grand jury – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
Murphy said he and other legal representatives decided not to press charges before October 29, but other meetings had to take place — including in-person talks with Spiegeler’s family.
“The Sheriff’s office, Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa Attorney General’s Office, and Mitchell County Attorney’s Office had to consult and meet more than once and that took some doing because of scheduling,” Murphy said. “In addition, we thought it important to meet and discuss with family and that coordination took some time, also.”