The double murder trial of Ilias Lasley continued Wednesday with opening statements, witnesses for the prosecution and some tears from the people sitting in the Marshall County Courthouse pews.

Lasley, 30, of Ankeny, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder of Mario Murillo, 28, and Frances Tillie Gasca, 33, both of Marshalltown. The charges stem from an April 19, 2024 shooting at a residence north of Marshalltown. The arrest report states that Lasley became upset the victims were speaking to one another in Spanish. He allegedly followed them outside and began shooting. Gasca and Murillo reportedly each have seven bullet wounds.

However, Lasley’s defense told the jury in opening statements there was another shooter, and they will present testimony to support that.

Opening statements relied on the concept of putting together a jigsaw puzzle. One of Lasley’s defense attorneys, David Newkirk, said the state will present forensic evidence of Lasley’s guilt.

“They’re leaving out the entire center of this puzzle,” he said. “They’re leaving out the fact that is more important than anything else in this case, which changes everything about what we’re going to hear. There’s two shooters. Two people fired a gun.”

The tragic scene unfolded so quickly that it was impossible for someone to switch guns that fast. Newkirk said one person fired in one direction and another shooter fired in another direction.

“Mr. Lasley, they’re going to tell us, got mad because people were speaking Spanish,: he said. ” . . . But that’s not what happened. What happened is, on a dark night when someone else starts shooting, Mr. Lasley gets scared and he shoots back.”

Assistant Attorney General Ryan Baldridge gave the opening statement for the prosecution. He told the jurors he has to commute from Fort Dodge for this trial, and he shared a thought as he drove into Marshalltown on Highway 14 and drove past 182nd Street – the street which bears the address of the residence where the shooting occurred.

“As I continued south into Marshalltown, I came up over the top of the hill. Before going over the hill, I couldn’t see Marshalltown. I couldn’t see the city I was driving into, but as I came over the top of that hill and the first thing I saw was the cupola of the courthouse,” he said. “I wondered then when the defendant fled that scene, if after he shot and killed Frances and Mario, if he had that same vision, if he looked at the top of the courthouse and thought to himself, ‘I am going to be sitting there. I am going to be held accountable for what I did.'”

During the trial, which is estimated to last another four days, Baldridge said the jurors will see and hear evidence. Some will be complicated and others will “probably be the most violent and gory images you will hopefully ever have to see.”

He brought up the four-hour interview Lasley gave to law enforcement the day after the shooting. During that time, the defendant had every opportunity to share a full and complete account of what happened. Baldridge said some of the evidence contradicts what Lasley said and other pieces support. The assistant attorney general told the jurors to not be afraid of holding Lasley to the words he used during the interview.

It is up to the state to prove Lasley is guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and felonious weapons possession beyond a reasonable doubt. In order to do that, Baldridge said all the pieces of the puzzle have to be put together.

“We have to tell the story,” he said. “We have to take the puzzle of Frances’ and Mario’s deaths and put it together in a way that makes sense to you. . . . Once we put the pieces together, Mr. Gaffney and I are confident you will return a [guilty] verdict of murder in the first-degree of Frances Gasca . . . [and] Mario Murrillo.”

Baldridge asked the 12 jury members to pay attention to the evidence and to not be afraid of applying common sense.

Lasley is also charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, which are Class D felonies carrying maximum penalties of five years in prison and a $7,500 fine. First-degree murder is a Class A felony and carries a maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Also representing Lasley is attorney Christine Branstad.

——-

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.