On August 5, 2020, a 38-year-old Caucasian female named Maggie Flint Hurdel was killed in Fort Dodge, Iowa, marking a tragic end to a long history of domestic turmoil. On that day, Maggie was in a friend's garage working on her pickup truck when her estranged husband, Justin Hurdel, arrived. He informed her that he had just signed the divorce papers for what was her third attempt to legally separate from him.
Prosecutors later said he was angered by her lack of an emotional response to this news. After a brief argument, he left.
A short time later, Hurdel returned to the garage with a sawed-off shotgun. He waited for Maggie and her friend to come back from an auto parts store. After they returned and had a short conversation, Justin Hurdel shot his estranged wife in the back. Following the shooting, he turned the gun on himself in a failed suicide attempt. The gun reportedly malfunctioned, leaving him with severe injuries to his face, but he was able to flee the scene.
His escape triggered a 17-hour manhunt that ended with his arrest the following morning. During his trial, Hurdel's defense argued that the shooting was a tragic accident. They claimed his intention was to take his own life in front of Maggie so she could "see his pain," but the shotgun accidentally discharged and struck her. However, a Boone County jury deliberated for just two hours before finding him guilty of first-degree murder.
In August 2021, Justin Hurdel was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife. He was also ordered to pay $150,000 to Maggie's estate. The case highlighted a history of abuse that Maggie had endured, which her children and friends were aware of, including previous domestic violence charges and a no-contact order that ultimately failed to protect her.
