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Western IA man pleads guilty to lesser charges in connection w/I-29 incident

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November 18th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A man from Harrison County who had been arrested for attempted murder, has reached a plea deal with prosecutors that resulted in two-years of supervised probation. The Daily NonPareil reports 39-year old Shane Vanderlinden, of Logan, admitted in court that he pushed his wife Ashlee Anderson out of a 2007 Land Rover on Friday, Aug. 7th, at 73-mile marker on Interstate 29 and drove off.

According to the court documents, the vehicle was traveling at roughly 30 mph when Anderson fell to the road. An off-duty Logan Police Office witnessed the incident and stopped to help Anderson. She was transported to the Nebraska Medical Center by a medical helicopter. While at the hospital, she was treated for skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, road rash and lacerations.

Vanderlinden was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on Wednesday, Aug. 12. Tuesday morning, as part of a plea agreement, Vanderlinden pleaded guilty to two amended charges: assault causing injury and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, both misdemeanors. He was also sentenced Tuesday on a charge out of Harrison County. Vanderlinden pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Pottawattamie County Chief Deputy Attorney Jon Jacobmeier said he signed off on the plea agreement because Anderson was unwilling to cooperate with the county attorney’s office. Vanderlin received a five-year prison term for possession of a firearm and two 2-year sentences, which will run concurrently, for the misdemeanors resulting from the assault on his wife. Fourth Judicial District Chief Judge Robert Larson suspended all the prison time and placed Vanderlinden on supervised probation for two years.

Larson said he had to follow the plea agreement, which meant he couldn’t place Vanderlinden in prison. The Logan resident has not escaped possible jail time completely. He will be on probation for two years and if he violates his probation he could be sent to prison. Vanderlinden’s attorney Mike Hooper said alcohol played a big role in his client’s decision to push his wife out of the vehicle. Hooper also said that Anderson did not want her husband prosecuted, and that Vanderlinden has been in anger management training.

Hooper also asked Larson to lift the no contact order, so Vanderlinden could see his wife again. Larson asked Anderson, who was in the courtroom, if she felt safe. She answered that Vanderlinden wouldn’t hurt her. For now, Larson kept the no-contact order in place as he considers Hooper’s request.