Sheriff: ‘We took an a-- chewing'
Missed evidence causes angry meeting with family
Mar 11, 2019
"COUNCIL BLUFFS — Marion County Attorney Ed Bull wasted little time telling the jury in his opening statements that law enforcement made mistakes in the investigation.
In testimony Monday, Marion County Sheriff Jason Sandholdt said he was on the receiving end of frustration from the family.
“We took an a-- chewing,” Sandholdt said.
Sandholdt said he had a meeting with Bill Carter Sr., his daughter Jana Lain and Jason Carter the Monday following Shirley Carter’s death. The meeting was in response to a series of phone calls from Jason Carter in the afternoon of Sunday, June 21, 2015.
Once he became aware of some evidence that was missed by the crime scene processing team, Sandholdt said he immediately called the Division of Criminal Investigation special agent assigned to the case.
According to Sandholdt, the team did not initially collect a scope cover for a rifle and a live round in the gun safe. Additionally, the gun safe — where the suspected murder weapon had been previously kept — had not been finger printed.
The state also focused questioning of Sandholdt on a phone call received in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 21, 2015....
The jury also heard testimony Monday morning from Indianola police officer Justin Keller, who was the individual who analyzed Jason Carter’s two cell phones for evidence.
Jason Carter placed three phone calls and sent 13 text messages from his smartphone device the morning of June 19, 2015. On his secondary phone, he sent approximately 60 text messages that morning.
Those messages were with Tara (Hoch) Kauzlarich, who had an extra-marital relationship with Jason Carter...."
Sheriff: ‘We took an a-- chewing'