Valdez Trial Entering Day Four

Jurors will be back in Iowa County Circuit Court today (Wed) for day number four in the re-trial of 21-year-old Austin Valdez. This is his 2^nd trial on charges related to the fatal shooting of his step-father – Robin Reeson. An initial trial for 1^st-degree reckless homicide ended in a mis-trial last year. Valdez is now on trial for 1^st-degree intentional homicide for the March 2018 shooting. The jury heard recordings and transcript readings of testimony and interviews with Valdez’s mother – Melanie Reeson. She passed away last fall. In earlier testimony, Melanie Reeson said Valdez never meant to kill Robin Reeson. She said that her son was acting in self-defense as Robin Reeson was assaulting her after a night out drinking. The trial is expected to wrap up by the end of this week.