The statement comes after the judge denied a request to move the murder trial.
An Illinois man who shot and killed a Fareway employee in Monticello last year pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Natalia Russell
Nathan Russell, 39, of East Dubuque, who planned to use intoxication as a defense at trial, pleaded guilty after Sixth Judicial District Andrew Chappell denied his motion in April to move the trial scheduled for August out of County Jones because of pretrial publicity.
During the deposition, Russell admitted to firing multiple shots at Aaron McAtee, 48, of Monticello, who was found around 7:29 a.m. on Nov. 7, 2023, near a loading dock outside the grocery store. at 420 N. Farley St.
McAtee suffered multiple injuries and later died at the hospital. Witnesses told police the shots fired at him came from a rifle pointed at the driver’s window of a black sedan with Illinois plates, according to a criminal complaint.
Officers believed Russell was connected to the car due to interactions they had with him the night before. Monticello police sent an alert to nearby agencies to be on the lookout for the sedan and Russell.
Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Menard found him around 9:30 a.m. that day in Hopkinton, according to the complaint. The officer attempted to arrest Russell, but Russell was uncooperative and Menard shot and wounded him. Russell was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for treatment and was charged the next day.
Menard was later found justified in Russell’s murder.
Authorities discovered a rifle in Russell’s vehicle and multiple shell casings consistent with the gun having been fired from inside the car, according to court documents. The black vehicle was also seen on multiple security cameras in the area during the time before and immediately after the shooting.
During the investigation, Russell’s parents told police that Russell stole a rifle and crossbow from their home in East Dubuque on Nov. 3, 2023.
Judge Chappell accepted Russell’s plea and sentenced him to life in prison after hearing victim impact statements from McAtee’s relatives. Chappell also ordered Russell to pay $150,000 in victim restitution to McAtee’s heirs or estate, as required by Iowa law.
Jones County Prosecutor Kristofer Lyons said in a statement that the case was developed under the direction of lead investigator, Special Agent Dustin Henningsen of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, who worked with Monticello Police Chief Britt Smith, and the department. The Jones County Sheriff’s Office and Anamosa Police Department also assisted in the case.
“The Jones County Prosecutor’s Office sincerely hopes that this conviction and sentence can assist in the healing of the entire McAtee family, but especially Kelly (Aaron’s wife) and their children,” Lyons said.
Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com
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