A woman is impaled by a corn rake – but do her fatal injuries add up to murder?
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This story originally aired on September 26, 2020. MAUREEN HUGHES: Amy Mullis was a young and beautiful woman. She was 39 years old. She was a daughter, a sister … a friend, and a mother to her three young children. … Amy had so much life left to live. But that life was viciously taken from her on November 10th, 2018 taken at the hands of this defendant. MAUREEN HUGHES: This brutal, senseless murder happened … in a town called Earlville. GERALD FEUERHELM: Amy Mullis was viciously and deliberately murdered. GERALD FEUERHELM: I believe that you will find … that there's a reasonable doubt about Mr. Mullis' guilt. MAUREEN HUGHES: Doctor, did you know Amy Mullis? DR. CRAIG THOMPSON: Shortly after arrival at the hospital, I -- understood that -- Amy Mullis had been pronounced dead. DR. CRAIG THOMPSON: Amy had been injured falling on a -- on a corn rake that was upended. MAUREEN HUGHES: Did you notice any -- or observe any injuries on Amy? DR. CRAIG THOMPSON: I found it very difficult to see how -- four tines could cause six holes in a single impact. MAUREEN HUGHES: Dr. Kruse, did you perform an autopsy on Amy Mullis? DR. KELLY KRUSE: So, she has a small abrasion or a scrape in the middle of her upper lip … DR. KELLY KRUSE: This is a photograph of the corn rake that was brought to the autopsy suite. TRAVIS HEMESATH: I went immediately to the -- the red shed. … And there were … a couple of drops of blood on the floor and that's where it was described to me that that's where she was positioned. … I looked on all the equipment in there … for any other indication … such as -- blood markings … that would indicate an injury where she had fa -- had fallen, anywhere else but where she was located. TERRI STANER: She left because it was kind of a deal she made with her husband. TERRI STANER: It took Todd a very long time. I don't think he ever really trusted Amy again. TERRY STANER: it was very regulated who she could do things with…. it was kind of a joke, the approved friend list -- that could actually do things with Amy. She was timed when she left home and when she got back. PATRICIA CHRISTOPHERSON: She wasn't happy -- in her marriage and she hadn't been happy for many years. SPECIAL AGENT JON TURBETT: Were you a loving husband, would you say? Were you kind to your wife? MAUREEN HUGHES: Now Trysten I'd like to direct your attention to November 10th, 2018. Do you remember that day? JUDGE BITTER: Do you swear that the testimony you give here today will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? TRYSTEN MULLIS: We would go hunting, fishing -- go on a four-wheeler ride. We'd farm together, obviously. TRYSTEN MULLIS: It's kind of an open barn… It's about a hundred … a football field long. TRYSTEN MULLIS: She would get on a bucket, a 5-gallon bucket, and then she would reach up to these -- the lightbulbs in the ceiling. … So, she would clean those out. TRYSTEN MULLIS: She said she was getting dizzy. … she had, when she got on a bucket, she had to hold herself from falling off. And she got down, and her legs-- she was kinda shaky. TRYSTEN MULLIS: I think I remember saying, you know, "Are you all right? Do you need help cleaning them?" And then Dad kinda asked the same thing. … She just said, "No," like, "I'm fine." TRYSTEN MULLIS: He said, "I really don't think it's wise for you to stay out here, 'cause," you know, "I don't want you falling off and getting hurt." TRYSTEN MULLIS: He said, "If you can get it to the shop, that would help. … But if you just can't get it, then just leave it. We'll get it." TRYSTEN MULLIS: So, he just told me to get it myself. TRYSTEN MULLIS: She was kinda on her hands and knees, facedown. TODD MULLIS: I -- I'm headed there -- I'm about to -- Oneida. DEPUTY LUKE THOMSEN: I saw a young man look -- like he had blood on his coat, flagging me down as I pulled up. DEPUTY LUKE THOMSEN: She was unresponsive and -- not breathing, no pulse. … She had quite a bit of blood on her -- on her -- on her clothes. … we put her on the ground and I … started doing chest compressions. MAUREEN HUGHES: How often would you and Amy meet for this physical relationship? MATTHEW TROIANO: Well, I think it was strictly or more sexual for Jerry than it was for Amy. … It seemed like Amy had very strong feelings … for Jerry. PATRICIA CHRISTOPHERSON: He made her happy. She had talked about wanting to get married eventually with him. JERRY FRASHER: I told her that we needed to slow down. TERRI STANER: She said, "I'm going to tell Todd that there's rumors out there, to stop this, so if he hears it, he'll think it's just the rumor mill going around." PATRICIA CHRISTOPHERSON: I asked her why she stayed and … she said she was scared of Todd and if he found out about – wanting a divorce or an affair that he would kill her. TERRI STANER: She said, "Ter, if I ever come up missing, make 'em – have 'em look in our new timber." TERRI STANER: I told her, you know, "Amy, you're putting yourself in a really dangerous situation." And I said at that time, "He is going to kill you." SPECIAL AGENT JON TURBETT: We've completed our investigation at this point. And the case facts clearly show us that you're responsible for, for Amy's death at this point. SPECIAL AGENT JON TURBETT: Todd, you were there. You were there. MAUREEN HUGHES: At some point, did you lose sight of your dad? TODD MULLIS: I -- I just wanted to -- help her. I just wanted to -- let's - let's go to the hospital there's something wrong. … I'm a doer, I guess. I just -- I wanted to help. … I was in reaction mode. I – I -- wanted to get her to the hospital. TODD MULLIS: The colder it gets, cats go to heat. And -- there's a heater right below the window, sun comes up in the morning, they sit in the window. TODD MULLIS: It was the day after. I think after -- talking to family members and stuff, they go …"do you have anything on the camera?" … So, I went out … I seen everything was knocked off, hanging down by the floor. … I picked it all back up. … I did not know how long it had -- been off or whatever. TODD MULLIS: No. I did not. GERALD FEUERHELM: have you ever searched for wedding dresses? GERALD FEUERHELM: Todd, did -- did you -- ambush your wife, Amy, in that shed that day and brutally beat her and chop -- chop her up with that corn fork? MAUREEN HUGHES: Why did he kill Amy? Because he didn't want to lose his farm, because she was cheating. … You might not like that Amy was having an affair, but that doesn't mean she deserved to die. GERALD FEUERHELM: The State has not proven a case against Todd Mullis beyond a reasonable doubt. . .. the dots don't even remotely connect, here. JUDGE BITTER: "We the jury find the defendant, Todd Michael Mullis, guilty of the crime of murder in the first degree …" JUDGE BITTER: As to the defendant's motion for a new trial, and motion in arrest of judgement, I will deny those motions in their entirety. … We will go ahead and proceed with sentencing at this time … TODD MULLIS: I did not do this. This is supposed to be America where … You shouldn't have to prove your innocence. … I thought it was guilty until -- innocent until proven guilty. I feel this was the other way around. And, I was a faithful and loving husband …
It was a fall day in 2018 when Amy Mullis was found grievously injured on her family farm in Earlville, Iowa. She was face down with a corn rake sticking out of her back. The farm tool had four steel tines, but doctors who examined her found six puncture wounds. DR. CRAIG THOMPSON: I knew her as a nurse in the emergency department. DR. CRAIG THOMPSON: Well, notably, she had six puncture wounds across the back. DR. KELLY KRUSE: I did. DR. KELLY KRUSE: There were two different directions of the six puncture wounds. MAUREEN HUGHES: And did you observe anything? TODD MULLIS: You can ask anybody. I was… TRYSTEN MULLIS: Yes. TRYSTEN MULLIS: Yes, your honor. MAUREEN HUGHES: He asked you to go to the red shed to check on your mom. MAUREEN HUGHES: Did you see anything that was protruding or sticking out of your mom's body? 911 OPERATOR: OK, so you're headed to -- where OK, what's the— JERRY FRASHER: It just depended. I mean, it was – everything was very short. It was maybe once a week. … Maybe more, depending on just how it worked out. MAUREEN HUGHES: Were you afraid about Todd finding out about your affair? MAUREEN HUGHES: And why did you say that? TODD MULLIS: I'm responsible? TRYSTEN MULLIS: Yes. GERALD FEUERHELM: Did you know who did? TODD MULLIS: I have never searched for wedding dresses. TODD MULLIS: No, I did not. JUDGE BITTER: Mr. Mullis, for the charge of murder in the first degree … you are sentenced to life in prison with no opportunity for parole.
Police started investigating Mullis' husband, Todd Mullis, after learning she was considering leaving him. However, Todd Mullis had an alibi – their 13-year-old son. MAUREEN HUGHES: And what do those different directions indicate to you? TRAVIS HEMESATH: I did not. SPECIAL AGENT JON TURBETT: Yeah. TRYSTEN MULLIS: he asked to go check on her, 'cause, like, maybe we thought that she was still struggling to get it -- to get the pet cage, or maybe she just went in the house. So … he just said, "Go check on Mom." TRYSTEN MULLIS: Yes. TODD MULLIS: The hospital … I just grabbed her, and I threw her in the truck. JERRY FRASHER: Yes. JERRY FRASHER: One time, she did say that if he ever found out, she would disappear TERRI STANER: Because Todd is just – the person you don't mess with. SPECIAL AGENT JON TURBETT: Yeah. MAUREEN HUGHES: Do you know exactly how long your dad wasn't in your sight? TODD MULLIS: I have no idea who looked that up. GERALD FEUERHELM: Did you ever do a Pinterest search? GERALD FEUERHELM: Do you know who did?