The double murder trial of Ilias Lasley continued Friday with the prosecution calling more witnesses.

Lasley, 30, of Ankeny, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder of Mario Murillo, 28, and Frances Gasca, 33, both of Marshalltown. The charges stem from an April 19, 2024 shooting at a residence north of Marshalltown on 182nd Street. 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 had seven bullet wounds.

The prosecution called law enforcement personnel connected with the case, including Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Aaron Swenson, Iowa Department of Public Safety Criminalist Kristin Hart — who specializes in ballistics — and a state law enforcement agent who serves undercover.

Swenson told Assistant Attorney General Ryan Baldridge he was assisting in the investigation and was notified to go to the Econo Lodge in Ankeny where it was reported that Lasley had a room under a different name — Dawn Huynh. Swenson set up surveillance, and Lasley was apprehended by an Iowa state trooper. He was on foot about half a mile north of the hotel.

The undercover agent assisted in apprehending and searching Lasley, who was wearing multiple layers of clothing, a hat to cover his head and a red article of clothing over his neck. The agent said he assumed that red clothing was meant to cover Lasley’s distinctive neck tattoo.

On Lasley’s person, law enforcement found two grams of methamphetamine, a used meth pipe and a wad of more than $200 in cash. He also had a firearm, four Smith & Wesson magazines and 37 rounds of ammunition.

During the trial, which is expected to last two more days, Hart explained to the 12-member jury about the process she uses to identify and possibly match ammunition cartridges to specific firearms, stating chambers in firearms tend to make marks on ammunition when fired. She tested the 14 cartridges found at the 182nd Street scene and estimated that they came from an FM 9mm firearm and a Smith & Wesson firearm.

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

at lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.