(Le Mars) — District Judge Duane Hoffmeyer has ruled that accused murderer, 83-year old Thomas Knapp of Merrill will stand trial for two charges at the same time. During a hearing held Thursday, Hoffmeyer says Knapp will stand trial for the murder of his step son, and for domestic assault charges on his
wife. Knapp is charged with first-degree murder and willful injury for the May 11th shooting death of Kevin Juzek at their rural Merrill home.
According to court records, Knapp is accused of shooting Juzek in the abdomen and chest with a 20-gauge shotgun. In a separate case, Knapp is charged with willful injury causing bodily injury, domestic abuse assault while using or displaying a dangerous weapon and two counts of first-offense domestic abuse
for striking his wife in the head with a stick and breaking bones in her hand during the same disturbance in which Juzek was killed. Knapp pleaded not guilty to all charges and is scheduled to stand trial on May 11th, the anniversary date of the shooting incident. The trial could be delayed depending on Hoffmeyer’s decision on a defense request to determine Knapp’s
competency to stand trial. That decision to determine if Knapp is competent to stand trial will be made later this month.
