AP/Lang
12/19/10
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 was to be taking her sons, 7-year-old Sean and 2-year-old Seth, to visit family in Sumner. But instead she stopped in a remote area near Littleton, just north of Jesup, and killed Seth while injuring Sean, who later 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.
Kehoe first made news in December of 2007 when she drove her car off North Dubuque Street into the Iowa River with her two sons inside. Several passers-by jumped into the river and dragged the three to safety. Kehoe told police she lost control of the vehicle after she became distracted by her two sons in the back seat.