After the mid-day lunch break, Prosecutor Monty Platz recalled Assistant State Medical Examiner Kelly Kruse to the stand. Dr. Kruse assisted with the autopsy of the deceased infant Luka Hodges. Dr. Kruse had stated earlier that Luka’s manner of death was undetermined. Another Forensic Pathologist testified he did not find any evidence of a “Purposeful act” in the manner of death. Dr. Kruse said she couldn’t date sub-dermal hematoma’s such as were found in Luka’s case which is why sent sent the body to a neuropathologist. She said bruises could occur in the case where there is an impact point or blunt trauma.

Dr. Marco Hefti, a Neuropathologist with the University of Iowa, was called by the State as a rebuttal witness. He works with the Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office, and was of the opinion the injuries Luka sustained were consistent with severe head trauma, but he could not suggest a difference between and accident and abuse. Another rebuttal Dr. Resimye Oral, a Child Abuse Pediatrics Specialist with the Child Advocacy and Protection Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Lebanon, New Hampshire, spoke via Zoom, Tuesday morning. She testified it was her opinion after reviewing the records, that there was no way Luka could have suffered the internal head injuries he did without having been the subject of Shaken Baby Syndrome. She acknowledged there were not skull fractures, but there appeared to be some scapular contusions.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports five recent arrests.

On Saturday, October 30th Deputies arrested 22-year-old Gurardo Garcia Gutierrez of Hokins, MO on a warrant for Violation of Probation. He was arrested in Maryville, MO and held on no bond for Mills County.

On Sunday, October 31st Deputies made two arrests. 20-year-old Kortnee James Cordell Nelson of Omaha, NE was arrested for Driving While Barred. Nelson was arrested on I-29 at 9:09 p.m. and held at the Mills County Jail on $2,000 bond.

Also Sunday 22-year-old Jonathon Jo Arrick of Council Bluffs was arrested on Warrants for 2 counts of Violation of Probation. He was arrested at Pottawattamie County Corrections and held on $10,000 bond.

On Monday, November 1st 37-year-old Gwen Marie Vanderhoof of Clarinda was arrested on Warrants for 2 counts of Failure to Appear and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Vanderhoof was arrested at the intersection of 5th Street and Marion Avenue at 10:44 p.m. and held on $16,000 bond.

Also Monday 22-year-old Faustino NMN Lopez-Vidales of Omaha, NE was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance on Bunge Avenue at 6:07 p.m. Lopez-Vidales was booked in to the Mills County Jail on $1,000 bond.

Mills County Sheriff’s Officials also report one person was injured in a single vehicle accident on Saturday, October 30th. A 2019 Jeep driven by 66-year-old Joni Sell of Hastings was traveling eastbound on Highway 34 at approximately Hillman Road and is believed to have experienced some kind of medical episode and passed out. The Jeep left the road into the right side ditch and struck a tree. Sell was awake when Deputies arrived and appeared to not be seriously injured. Sell was taken to Jenny Edmunson Hospital in Council Bluffs by Glenwood Rescue.

(UPDATE 12-P.M.) The State of Iowa vs. Alison Dorsey case moved significantly closer to being handed to the jury on Tuesday morning as the defense rested their case. Prosecutors are now calling rebuttal witnesses, including at least one this afternoon.

Dorsey herself was called to the stand on Tuesday morning. She has cared for the Hodges’ children since 2015. She first met Luka on Oct. 7, 2019, the day his dad Nick dropped him off in a car child safety seat. During her testimony she stated that she was not aware of any injuries to Luka, and not aware of any medical issues he may have had, other than he was heavy breathing a couple of hours after being dropped off. She did not note any discoloration in the child’s face. She stated that she called Nick  to help her with his breathing issues, because Luka’s brother Karver had similar issues and used a nebulizer. She called 9-1-1 after Nick Hodges arrived and the child suddenly stopped breathing.

Dorsey testified she did not know there is a limit on the number of children an unlicensed child care center is allowed to have (3 babies), and contradicted the number of kids in former Cass County Deputy Bill Ayers said were in the home.  Dorsey acknowledged there were only a few minutes she wasn’t watching the children, and that was during the time she was washing baby bottles. Dorsey testified she has no idea how Luka received injuries to his head and the sub dermal hematoma’s.

The State, through prosecutor Monty Platz, called rebuttal witnesses, including Dr. Resimye Oral, a Child Abuse Pediatrics Specialist with the Child Advocacy and Protection Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Lebanon, New Hampshire, who spoke via Zoom. She testified it was her opinion after reviewing the records, that there was no way Luka could have suffered the internal head injuries he did without having been the subject of Shaken Baby Syndrome. She acknowledged there were not skull fractures, but there appeared to be some scapular contusions.

The final rebuttal witness of the morning was Dr. Marco Hefti, a Neuropathologist with the University of Iowa, who was of the opinion the injuries were consistent with severe head trauma. The case resumes at 1-p.m.

Creston Police report the arrest early Tuesday of Jeffery Allan Liesener of Creston on a charge of Child Endangerment. Liesener was arrested at his home in Creston at 12:17 a.m. and taken to the Union County Jail and held on $2,000 cash or surety bond.

Polls are open from 7:00 am until 8:00 pm.  Listen tonight shortly after the polls close for live coverage of results from today’s polling on AM 1220 and FM 101.1.  Watch the News page on kjan.com for updated results!

Shelby County:

• Cass-Center-Jackson-Lincoln @ Therkildsen Center, Harlan
• Clay-Monroe @ Elk Horn Community Hall
• Douglas-Greeley-Jefferson-Polk @ Irwin Community Building
• Fairview-Shelby @ Shelby Community Hall
• Grove-Union-Washington-Westphalia @ St. Joseph Parish Hall, Earling
• Harlan Ward 1 @ Therkildsen Center, Harlan
• Harlan Ward 2 @ Therkildsen Center, Harlan
• Harlan Ward 3 @ Therkildsen Center, Harlan
• Harlan Ward 4 @ Therkildsen Center, Harlan

Audubon County:

• Audubon Precinct @ Audubon Agri-Hall
• Exira Precinct @ Exira Event Center

Adair County:

• 1NW @ Adair City Hall
• 2NE @ Stuart Recreational Center
• 3SW @ Fontanelle Community Building
• 4 SE @ Orient United Methodist Church
• 5GF @ Adair County Health & Fitness Center

Adams County:

• Adams 1 @ Corning Community Center
• Adams 2 @ Corning Public Library
• Adams 3 @ Redeemer Lutheran Church, Corning
• Adams 4 @ Nodaway Community Building
• Adams 5 @ Prescott City Hall/Library

Guthrie County:

• Black @ Casey Community Building
• Blue @ Vet’s Auditorium, Panora
• Brown @ Panora Library
• Gold @ First Christian Church Hall, Guthrie Center
• Green @ Yale Community Building
• Purple @ First Congregational Church, Stuart
• Red @ Bayard Community Center
• White @ First Christian Church Hall, Guthrie Center

Montgomery County:

• Precinct 1 @ Gold Fair Building, Fairground in Red Oak
• Precinct 2 @ Red Oak Fire Station
• Precinct 3 @ First Christian Church, Red Oak
• Precinct 4 @ Elliott Community Building
• Precinct 5 @ Grant Fire Station
• Precinct 6 @ Stanton Community Center
• Precinct 7 @ Villisca Community Building

East Pottawattamie County:

• Avoca @ Avoca American Legion
• Carson @ Carson Community Center
• GLWCW @ ISU Wallace Foundation Learning Center near Lewis
• Hancock @ Hancock Fire Hall
• Macedonia @ DeWitt Community Center
• Minden @ Minden United Church of Christ
• Neola @ Neola Community Center
• Oakland @ Oakland Community Center
• Treynow @ Treynor Community Center
• Underwood @ UMBA Hall
• Walnut @ Walnut Community Center

Still not sure:  CLICK HERE!

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of 52-year-old James Bruce Castillo of Stanton at 4:39 p.m. on Monday for Domestic Abuse Assault causing Bodily Injury. He was arrested at the intersection of Highway 34 and 8th Street in Red Oak. Castillo was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.