(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has denied a Muscatine man’s appeal of his murder conviction in the death of his pregnant girlfriend. David Hatfield called police in 2019 and told them his girlfriend Kaitlyn Palmer had shot herself with a handgun. He later changed his story and said he shot her as part of an assisted suicide. He was convicted of first-degree murder. Palmer’s mother testified during the trial her daughter had attempted suicide once, but the mother said it was a plea for attention and she told her she would never attempt suicide again. Hatfield said in his appeal the statement was hearsay and should not have been allowed. The Appeals Court ruling says the statement was relevant to the case and the district court properly allowed it.