BREAKING NEWS: Livermore man found guilty of murder
Jeffrey Lynn Winters, a resident of Livermore at the time of the death of a LuVerne man 14 months ago, has been found guilty after a jury trial in Algona. Winters was convicted Wednesday in the murder of Randy M. Page, 54, of LuVerne, on Aug. 27, 2018. Winters pleaded guilty to a July 2018 stabbing assault in Humboldt County earlier this month.
A Kossuth County District Court jury has found a Livermore man guilty of first degree murder in a 2018 shooting in the town of LuVerne.
Jeffrey Lynn Winters, 61, of Livermore, was found guilty Wednesday afternoon by a 12-member jury after a nearly six-hour deliberation.
The verdict came after a week-long trial in Kossuth County District Court in Algona. The state and defense completed their cases on Tuesday. The defense did not present a witness on Winters’ behalf.
Winters was arrested on Aug. 28 in Mason City and charged in the shooting death of Randy Merle Page, 54, of LuVerne.
Page was found lying on the garage floor of his home at 202 Hanna Ave. in LuVerne late in the afternoon of Aug. 27, 2018.
A criminal complaint filed in Kossuth County District Court said that law enforcement found four 9-millimeter bullet casings near the body. An autopsy conducted by the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office found that Page died from gunshot wounds to the chest, back and head. A murder weapon was not recovered.
It also said neighbors reported a man matching Winters’ description at the Page residence.
Another neighbor reported a vehicle matching the description of the 2005 Ford Explorer Winters was driving leave the Page home traveling east in a fast direction.
City video surveillance in the town of LuVerne showed an older model silver Ford Explorer driving east on Smart Street, one block east of the Page residence, at 5:03 p.m. on Monday Aug. 27.
It was reported that Winters and Page were acquainted and that the two men had exchanged text messages around the time of the murder. No motive for the killing was given during testimony at the trial.
Winters’ trial comes on the heels of a guilty plea in a 2018 case of a stabbing that occurred at Barney’s Tavern in Livermore.
Winters was charged with willful injury causing bodily injury after a July 6, 2018 stabbing incident at Barney’s Tavern, 407 4th Ave., in Livermore.
According to court documents, Winters stabbed a patron, Pete Carlson of Gilmore City, at the bar. Carlson was treated for non life-threatening injuries at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital and released.
Earlier in October, Winters, through his attorney, Douglas E. Cook, filed a plea of guilty to an amended charge of assault in connection with the case.
Judge Adria Kester sentenced Winters to 30 days in jail. He was given credit for time served during his incarceration in Kossuth County.
He was fined $65, along with a $22.75 law enforcement surcharge and $1,645.02 in court costs for a total of $1,732.77. A court-ordered payment plan was issued along with a no-contact order between the defendant and the victim.
A sentencing date for Winters on the murder charge has not been set.
