Spahr Found Guilty On One Of Four Counts

Bruce Spahr reacts as the verdict is read Friday.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The prosecution and defense have both rested in the 2nd Degree Sex Abuse case against Bruce Spahr.

Spahr was charged with four counts of 2nd Degree Sex Abuse, a Class B Felony, in December of 2011. The affidavit read, “[Spahr] Did unlawfully perform a sex act with a female child who was under the age of twelve at the time the sex act did occur.” It goes on to say that, “This act did occur at the residence of both the victim and the defendant [Spahr] and in the bedroom and on the bed the victim did sleep in at the residence.”

Two alleged victims were referenced in those documents.

This past Tuesday was spent picking the jury, before opening arguments were heard on Wednesday morning. The 14 member jury, including the 2 alternates, consisted of 9 men and 5 women.

The state opened its case against Spahr by calling the two accusers to the witness stand. Since both were minors at the time of the alleged incident, they are known by their initials, AL and RL.

AL described to the court when the first alleged abuse happened, and her attempt that evening to inform her mother of the incident. AL stated that her mother questioned her statement and gave her some time to think about the statement she was making.

AL says that eventually she told her mother that it was just a dream. “I wish she had believed me,” AL commented, “that she would have helped me.”

AL then alleges that the abuse happened from the 4th grade until the 10 grade. She reported the alleged abuse to one of her teachers while a senior in high school. According to AL, this was done because she was worried about RL’s safety after she was out of the home.

RL was the next witness in the case. RL also alleges that the abuse started when she was in 3rd or 4th grade. RL described “mummifying” herself into the blankets to make it more difficult for the accused to get to her.

When asked by the Defense if RL had told her mother of the abuse, “No, it was embarrassing.” RL went on to say, “I just wanted her to be happy.”

The prosecution in the afternoon on Wednesday called Mahaska County Deputy Sheriff Don De Kock. De Kock was the lead investigator of the case.

De Kock is a leader in a “People Helping People” class at the Oskaloosa High School. He became aware of the alleged abuse because of his participation in that class.

To start off Thursday’s testimony, the prosecution rested their case, and the Defense then called Christine Spahr to the stand as their first witness. She is the mother to AL and RL and wife to Bruce Spahr.

Christine Spahr spoke of her relationship with her daughters AL and RL, and of the incident AL referred to in her allegation as the first time the abuse was to have happened.

Christine Spahr described that both her and Bruce had been together for the previous hour the evening AL says Bruce had just touched her and that is why Christine questioned AL’s statement to her that evening.

Bruce Spahr took the stand in his own defense on Thursday.

The Defense then called Bruce Spahr to the stand. He described his work schedule and work habits.

During questioning, he denied the accusations being levied towards him, saying he had seen AL and RL as his own children, but acknowledged that the relationship between them and himself was strained.

During his time on the stand, Bruce Spahr would answer the majority of his questions while looking at the jury, and maintaining an even tone.

The Defense rested on Thursday afternoon, and the case went to the jury on Friday morning after closing arguments.

One juror was removed at this time for contact with the prosecution. The juror stopped and spoke with the prosecution after the state’s closing argument.

The Jury was given the case for deliberation at 11:00 am, after jury instructions had been read. One other alternate was then released from the jury pool.

Eight men and four women then deliberated until 7 pm when they returned their verdict.

Spahr was found guilty on count 1, and not guilty on the remaining 3 counts. Spahr will be sentenced in October.