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Court affirms woman’s conviction for attack on young sons

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December 18th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has affirmed the murder and attempted murder convictions of a Coralville woman who in 2008 slashed the throats of her two young sons. Michelle Kehoe’s 2-year-old died but the 7-year-old survived and testified at her trial. Kehoe’s appeal alleges her attorney was ineffective in part because he didn’t claim she was mentally incompetent to stand trial.

She says he also didn’t try to suppress incriminating statements made to investigators while she was hospitalized. The court ruled Wednesday she failed to prove her lawyer was ineffective. She’s serving a life sentence at the women’s prison in Mitchellville.