Nathaniel Byron Kassel 42-year-old is set to plead guilty for fatally shooting his 62-year-old mother, Jody Lynn Duskin, at their Iowa home in March 2023.
This heart-wrenching incident was made even more disturbing by the spine-chilling text message Kassel sent to his family members just moments before he allegedly carried out the heinous act.
IOWA Kassel’s Chilling Threat to Relatives
According to criminal complaint documents filed in district court, Kassel messaged his relatives, stating, “I’m killing Jody,” at approximately 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22. Hours later, at about 11:30 pm, he was reportedly overheard having a conversation with someone on the telephone during which he confessed to having “made a mistake and hurt someone.”
As reported by The N’West Iowa Review, Kassel has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, agreeing to plead guilty to one count of first-degree murder in the March 2023 slaying of his mother.
Under Iowa state law, defendants convicted of first-degree murder are mandated to serve a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
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Police Respond to Distressing Call on March 23
On September 1, O’Brien County District Court Judge John M. Sandy filed court documents noting that an agreement had been reached between the District Attorney’s Office and Kassel regarding the plea and punishment.
A joint plea and sentencing hearing has been scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on September 18, with Judge Sandy ordering Kassel’s attorney, Sioux City Public Defender Jon Loos Jr., to file a formal guilty plea with the court prior to the proceeding.
The tragic incident came to light on March 23 when officers from the Sheldon Police Department responded to a distressing call about an adult female found dead inside a home in Sheldon’s 600 block of 4th Avenue.
First responders identified the victim as Jody Lynn Duskin, and an autopsy conducted by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner confirmed her death as a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the head.
Nathaniel Byron Kassel was apprehended by South Dakota officers at approximately noon on March 24 in Flandreau.
The Santee Sioux Tribe police chief spotted Duskin’s registered vehicle at the Royal River Casino & Hotel, leading to Kassel’s arrest near the nearby Native Nations Cannabis Dispensary.
Two handguns believed to have been taken from his mother’s home were reportedly found in his possession. This deeply tragic case serves as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the profound impact it has on communities and families.
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