Gruesome Murder Comes To Light

Bradley Arterburn, along with a member of his defense team during the trial on Wednesday.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Jury selection completed mid-morning of the second day in the First Degree Murder trial of Bradley Arterburn. Arterburn is accused of murdering his mothers fiancé on June 19th of 2011 in Oskaloosa.

The following story has graphic information about a murder case.

In the opening remarks, the state brought to light the graphic death of Robert Horovitz by saying Arterburn, “wielded a medieval style battleaxe and viciously attacked Robert Horovitz. He attacked him from behind and took him down to the ground, continued stabbing and slicing Mr. Horovitz repeatedly. He then took a Buck knife out of his pocket and he sliced his throat.”

The defendant was residing with his mother, Linda Arterburn in Oskaloosa. Linda Arterburn had recently become involved with Horovitz. Arterburn’s mother and Horovitz became involved after meeting on the Internet and had been dating for three weeks.

According to the state, Bradley thought the relationship between his mother and Horovitz was progressing too quickly. The state also remarked that they believed Bradley was worried Horovitz was going to take advantage of his mother.

Another factor the state says may have contributed to the murder was similarities between Horovitz and Arterburn’s former step-father who had sexually abused him for three years, ending when Arterburn was 11 years of age.

Bradley then has a conversation with his mother in the garage when he becomes aware of plans for Horovitz to move in. He didn’t want to be in the same house as Horovitz. Bradley’s mother Linda agrees to help her son find a home so he don’t have to live at the residence, and that they would start looking the following day.

According to the prosecution, “After his mother and he had the discussion in the garage, Bradley went and took a nap in his basement bedroom. “After his nap, he got up. He went to Subway about 5:30 and got a sandwich. Went to the movie store and got a movie. He came home, went straight back down to the basement, ate his sandwich and watched the entire movie.”

They then say that at about 8:30 “when he was done watching his movie, he goes to his wall, he takes off a medieval style battle axe. He had many to choose from. So he picks this particular one, takes it down, goes up the stairway. He comes up behind his mother and Robert Horovitz sitting in the living room on the computer.”

“He comes up behind them and he takes that battle axe and he stabs it in the back of Robert Horovitz. Stabs it so hard that he is able to have the force to pull him off of the chair, [Horovitz was sitting at the computer] and take him down to the ground while that blade was still embedded in him. And he continues to stab and to slice Mr. Horovitz as he lay on the ground completely helpless; completely defenseless and just trying to protect himself from the blows.”

“The defendant then reaches into his pocket, he takes out a Buck knife he had in his pocket and he slices Mr. Horovitz’s throat all the way across.”

“He then takes that Buck knife and stabs himself in the chest.”

“Linda Arterburn is standing there watching this entire scene go on in front of her. She attempts to call 911, but as she gets the phone to call, the defendant comes up to her, grabs the telephone, throws it up against the fireplace and it breaks into pieces.”

The prosecutor then quotes Bradley Arterburn after he had allegedly thrown the telephone. “’He doesn’t deserve 911′. He also tells Linda Arterburn, ‘this is all your fault’.”

The state continued, “Robert Horovitz is still alive. He is on the floor, profusely bleeding, and he is able to get his cell phone and slide it over to Linda. Linda gets that phone and she calls 911 and the police are there in minutes.”

Ken Duker tells the jury that, for the most part, he doesn’t disagree with how the prosecution has presented what happened that day.

The defense started out by giving some history of Bradley Arterburn’s life and spotlighting, in particular, the time his mother was married and the step-father sexually abused Bradley Arterburn until he was 11 years old.

Duker then put-fourth a timeline of therapists seen by Bradley. According to Arterburn’s mother, Bradley is on disability for mental illness, which he was receiving Social Security and SSI for.

“You’ll hear about a time when Brad took care of his sick grandmother, and that he made a promise to her, and that promise to her was that he would take care of his mom,” the defense said in their opening statement saying, “and you’ll hear about the details of that promise.”

Duker also plans to outline a prior relationship Linda had, and that Bradley was OK with that relationship. “That he was happy for his mother.”

“You’ll hear evidence that the first week in June of 2011, Linda met Hank through a dating website and then they were calling one another. You’ll hear evidence that that first weekend in June, Hank came down and visited Linda at her house in Oskaloosa.” Duker said.

“You’ll hear evidence that on first sight, Brad couldn’t look at him,” said Duker. The reason, Duker said, was that Bradley told his mother that Horovitz reminded him of his ex-step-father.

The defense says that the similarities between Horovitz and his former step-father, who sexually abused Bradly, include being nearly the same height and roughly the same weight as when the abuse had taken place. Another similarity included Horovitz’s habit of wearing khaki and other mannerisms that were similar, as well.

Duker has a clinical psychologist who says that Arterburn suffered from a disease or deranged mind, “he did not have sufficient mental capacity to know and understand the nature and quality of what he’s accused of. Further, I believe she is going to render an opinion, to you, of that ”

911 operator Brandi Brown was working in the call center when Linda Arterburn made that frantic call for help.

During that call, Linda Arterburn says that her boyfriend was stabbed by her son.

Oskaloosa Police Officer Jacob Vanderpol identifies the weapon recovered at the crime scene and identified as one of the weapons used in the assault and murder of Robert Henry Horovitz.

Oskaloosa Police Officer Ben Johnston was the first emergency worker on the scene. Upon arrival, he found Linda Arterburn waiting outside for officers to arrive.

Johnston said that Linda Arterburn was in a “panic state” and her voice was very shaky. She was telling Johnston to “Hurry, Hurry, He’s inside, He’s inside.”

“As soon as I walked in, I was in the kitchen area I could see blood on the kitchen floor.” From there, Johnston said he followed the blood on into the living room, “where I then see a body laying on the living room floor.” That person would later be identified as Robert Horovitz. “He was laying on the floor in a pool of his own blood.”

Johnston said he approached Mr. Horovitz, where Johnston noted he was alert and breathing. “After that, Mr. Horovitz raised his head up,” and Johnston remembers seeing, “just a lot of blood coming from his neck area.” Johnston also noted the blood coming from his back.

Johnston told the prosecutor that Horovitz was attempting to talk with him, but was unable to speak. He then turned to Linda Arterburn, “I then asked her, where is the man who has stabbed this man?”

Linda Arterburn then pointed outside, “to a male that was out on the deck,” Johnston said.

Bradley was on the deck, sitting on the railing smoking a cigarette, Johnston explained of his first experience with the defendant. At this point Johnston asked Bradley Arterburn where the knife was. Arterburn didn’t reply to Officer Johnston.

When Johnston asks him once again about the knife, Johnston says, “He jumps down off the deck railing. He then kind of puffs up. He puffs his chest up towards me. Advances towards me a little bit.”

Johnston said he considered the actions to be aggressive. “It was at this time I drew my service weapon from out of my holster and had ordered him down to the ground.”

Johnston said that Arterburn wasn’t saying anything to him and that, in fact, Arterburn’s demeanor was, “surprisingly calm.”

“He wasn’t obeying the commands,” and Johnston said Arterburn then started to reach his hands into his pockets. “I also took that as a threat. I don’t know what was in his pockets.” Johnston continued to order Arterburn not to reach for anything.

“It was about that time my Lieutenant, VanRenterghem, came through the sliding glass door and deployed his taser.” Johnston said of the continued effort to place Bradley Arterburn into custody.

“The taser had little effect on Mr. Arterburn. I remember that the probes of the taser hit him around the stomach area.” Johnston said he “showed little effects of it [taser].

“He then reached up and grabbed onto the wires that are attached from the probes going back to the taser and was attempting to pull them out.” Johnston said.

“It was at that time, my Lieutenant approached him and went for a drive stun.” Johnston said of the secondary efforts to put Arterburn into custody. Johnston explained that a drive stun is when you make contact with the taser itself to the person’s body. “Again, that still had very little effect,” Johnston said. “It was at that time I grabbed onto Mr. Arterburn and assisted him to the ground.”

On cross examination by the defense, Officer Johnston was asked about the defendants actions when he made contact with him on the back deck.

Duker asked Johnston, “Did it appear that Mr. Arterburn was trying to start a confrontation with you?”

Johnston replied, “It did.”

“In fact, when you had your duty weapon drawn at him, he was reaching in his pockets correct?” Duker asked of Johnston.

“Correct” was Johnston’s response.

Duker then asked Johnston, “Officer Johnston are you familiar with the term, ‘Suicide by Police’?”

Johnston replied, “Yes sir.”

Duker than asked Johnston, “And based upon what you observed, do you believe Mr. Arterburn was trying to commit suicide by police?”

Johnston then said, “Yes sir.”

Duker then asked, “Did it appear to you Mr. Arterburn was looking for you to shoot him?”

Johnston said, “Correct.”

Arterburn’s mother, Linda Arterburn, spent a considerable amount of time on the stand on Wednesday. There she was questioned by the state and the defense, covering many of the same aspects of the case already discussed.

The State plans to rest its case on Thursday afternoon, and the Defense could be calling its first witnesses later in the afternoon.

A criminal charge is merely a criminal charge and not an indication of guilt. All suspects should be considered innocent until proven guilty.