DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A judge won’t grant a new murder trial for a Dubuque man convicted of killing his girlfriend. Judge Monica Zrinyi Wittig rejected Fontae Buelow’s arguments about juror problems and assertions that 21-year-old Samantha Link stabbed herself to death in March 2017. The judge reconfirmed a sentencing date of April 25 in the ruling she filed Wednesday in Dubuque County District Court.

Buelow’s attorneys have said a juror who didn’t believe Buelow was guilty was bullied by two other jurors. His attorneys also said the juror was then improperly removed by the judge and replaced with an alternate.
But the two jurors reported to the judge that the removed juror had refused to participate in deliberations and that he had entered the jury room declaring his mind was made up.