IT’S 50 YEARS IN PRISON FOR A SIOUX CITY MAN CONVICTED OF SECOND DEGREE MURDER IN THE FATAL FEBRUARY, 2016 STABBING OF 50 YEAR OLD VERNON MACE OUTSIDE OF A WEST FIRST STREET HOME.
JUDGE DUANE HOFFMEYER SENTENCED ELIAS WANATEE AT A HEARING IN WOODBURY COUNTY DISTRICT COURT THURSDAY.
MACE’S BROTHER-IN-LAW, NICK SCURRA, GAVE A VICTIM’S IMPACT STATEMENT FOR MACE’S 85 YEAR OLD MOTHER, BETTY TAYLOR:
OC……..THIS SITUATION. ;26
MACE’S DAUGHTER, VERNA HOFFMAN, TESTIFIED THAT HER CHILDREN, INCLUDING A NINE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEIR GRANDFATHER WAS TAKEN FROM THEM:
OC…………YOU HAVE NO IDEA. :20
WANATEE DECLINED TO MAKE A STATEMENT AT THE SENTENCING.
HE WAS CONVICTED BY A POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY JURY IN COUNCIL BLUFFS BACK IN MARCH.
THAT’S AFTER HIS FIRST TRIAL IN WOODBURY COUNTY ENDED IN A MISTRIAL LAST DECEMBER WHEN THE JURY FAILED TO REACH A VERDICT IN THE CASE.
WANATEE MUST SERVE A MANDATORY 35 YEARS IN PRISON AND WILL BE 82 YEARS OLD BEFORE HE WOULD BE BEING CONSIDERED FOR PAROLE.
THE JUDGE DENIED DEFENSE MOTIONS FOR ANOTHER NEW TRIAL AND A DIRECTED VERDICT BEFORE PRONOUNCING SENTENCE.
