Jealous wife is found GUILTY of first degree-murder for stabbing her estranged husband s younger girlfriend and claiming COVID lockdown made her snap
It took Iowa jury about 45 minutes to find Michelle Boat, 59, guilty of first-degree murder on Tuesday
Boat was handcuffed in courtroom and remanded into custody of sheriff pending her sentencing; conviction carries mandatory life sentence
Boat admitted to being responsible for the death of her husband s new girlfriend, Tracy Mondabough, 46, in May 2020
She argued that she was in extreme emotional distress due to the pandemic
Boat, who worked in a hospital laundry, learned her husband left her last March
Photo of Michelle Boat being cross examined by Marion County Attorney Ed Bull on May 10th, 2021. Photo by Court TV/Pool Reporter.
Michelle Boat took the stand Monday in defense of her killing of Tracy Mondabaugh, attempting to convince the jury that the First Degree Murder charge is too severe.
Attorney Jill Eimermann: “In the opening statement I had said that you were not a scorned woman, at some point did you use the word scorned in your interview with police?”
Boat: “I did, I did…because he just threw me away like trash, and like I’d never been his wife, like I didn’t have his two kids, like he never loved me he looked right through me and everything, it was horrible.”
Photo of Michelle Boat being cross examined by Marion County Attorney Ed Bull on May 10th, 2021. Photo by Court TV/Pool Reporter.
Michelle Boat took the stand today in defense of her killing of Tracy Mondabaugh, attempting to convince the jury that the First Degree Murder charge is too severe.
Attorney Jill Eimermann: “In the opening statement I had said that you were not a scorned woman, at some point did you use the word scorned in your interview with police?”
Boat: “I did, I did…because he just threw me away like trash, and like I’d never been his wife, like I didn’t have his two kids, like he never loved me he looked right through me and everything, it was horrible.”
Opening statements were given and testimony was heard from witnesses today in the trial of a Pella woman accused of killing her estranged husband’s girlfriend nearly one year ago.
Michelle Boat, 56, faces a charge of first degree murder for the death of Tracy Mondabough of Ottumwa.
Marion County Attorney Ed Bull detailed the night of May 18th, 2020, accusing Boat of following Mondabough and Nicholas Boat throughout the evening, eventually confronting and stabbing Tracy.
“Scorned. Obsessed. Seething,” were the opening words of Bull as he attempted to present Michelle as planning the killing ahead of time.
“At the conclusion of this case and based on the evidence, we will stand before you and ask that you return a verdict of finding the defendant guilty of Murder in the First Degree,” Bull stated. “The facts will support it, the law will compel it, and justice will demand it, because by then, we will have all learned that Michelle Boat was so scorned, so obsessed, and
Iowa Clerks of Courts are responding to people who have received collection notices that falsely claim to be from the Iowa Judicial Branch or a clerk of court. The letters warn the individuals that if payments are not made to the 1-800 number on the notice, the person’s driver’s license would be suspended and an arrest warrant may be issued. Marion County Attorney Ed Bull tells KNIA/KRLS News that these notices are a scam and are not from the Iowa Judicial Branch. The Iowa Judicial Branch does not have a 1-800 number for paying court fines and fees. Bull also says that this is a slight twist on an old scam. But it is a scam nonetheless. No one from law enforcement or the court system is ever going to call you on the phone and demand money or threaten you with incarceration. When in doubt, hang up.