Iowa man Todd Mullis is scheduled to be sentenced Friday in the first-degree murder of his wife Amy Mullis. Court is set to start at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT. Join the Law&Crime Network for live coverage.
The defendant was convicted Sept. 23, 2019 of killing his spouse. He ambushed Amy Mulllis at their farm on November 10, 2018, while she was recovering from a recent surgery, and he fatally stabbed her with a corn rake, prosecutors said. Todd Mullis attempted passing this off as a farm accident, and made it so that their son found the body, authorities said.
Both sides agreed at trial that someone murdered Amy Mullis, but the defense asserted that someone else did it.
The couple had a fraught history. Amy Mullis allegedly had an affair in 2013, and this hurt their relationship.
Nonetheless, the union survived for a time. But investigators said they discovered evidence of another affair, and that Amy Mullis feared for her life, according to the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office affidavit obtained by Law&Crime. The other man told law enforcement they had been involved since May 2018, that Amy wanted to leave her husband, and that she said, “If he [Todd] catches me, he might make me disappear.”
Prosecutors also pointed out suspicious search items made on his iPad. This included “killing unfaithful women,” “crimes of passion,” and “what happens to cheaters in history.”
Mullis tried to explain this away, saying that others sometimes used the machine. For example, Amy had a password, and used it for bills and price quotes. He acknowledged that it was possible she might have used it for personal items. Todd Mullis denied doing searches such as the one regarding cheating spouses. He claimed not to know who did. Under direct examination, he said they might have discussed that topic if there was a movie. Mullis also said he and his wife often watched the History Channel, and this would often result in web searches. Subject matter included Native Americans.
Mullis also denied searching for wedding dresses on July 22, 2018. There was also a January 21, 2018 search for discreetly doing DNA testing without consent, and how to do a DNA test without the father knowing. The defendant denied making such searches, and he said he never discussed it with his wife.
Assistant Attorney General Maureen Hughes asserted during cross-examination that the defendant called the victim a “cheating whore” while doing chest compression. Todd Mullis denied this.
All told, however, jurors sided with the prosecution. Their determination: The defendant did it. Now he has to spend the rest of his days behind bars. The judge is expected to hand down an automatic life sentence without parole.
[Mugshot via Delaware County Sheriff’s Office]