In the late hours of September 6, 2017, a tragedy unfolded at a westbound Interstate 80 rest stop near Victor, Iowa, that claimed the life of 60-year-old Ernest Kummer, a White male truck driver from Monroe, Iowa. Kummer was found deceased in the sleeper cab of his semi-truck, the victim of multiple gunshot wounds. The incident was brought to the attention of authorities by a 911 call made by the woman who would soon become the sole suspect in his murder.
The woman, identified as Mariana
Lesnic, was taken into custody at the scene and charged with first-degree murder. The investigation that followed pieced together a brief and troubled acquaintance between the two. Kummer had reportedly met Lesnic while she was hitchhiking in Nebraska and had offered her a ride, promising to take her to Washington. She had stayed at his home for three days before they departed on the trip that would end in his death.
During her trial, Lesnic, who chose to represent herself with a standby attorney, claimed that she shot Kummer in a state of fear and pressure. She alleged that during the time they were together, Kummer had acted strangely and treated her poorly. She testified that he had several firearms and that she felt threatened by his behavior. According to Lesnic, she shot Kummer while he was asleep in the sleeper of his truck.
Despite her claims of acting in self-defense, the jury found Mariana Lesnic guilty of first-degree murder after a three-day trial. The court sentenced her to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
