On the evening of April 12, 2005, the life of 39-year-old Renee Walker was tragically cut short in her Clinton, Iowa apartment. That night, a neighbor heard a scream and a series of popping sounds around 11:15 p.m. The following day, the bodies of Renee and her live-in boyfriend, Steven Kersey, who was 32, were discovered. Both had been shot multiple times at close range just inside the doorway of their home, with bags of groceries they had recently purchased strewn across the floor.
The
investigation quickly centered on Renee's ex-husband, Marice Walker Sr. At the scene, investigators found a bloody ski mask, which contained Renee's blood and DNA from Marice around the mouth area. Although the murder weapon, a Hi-Point. 380 automatic pistol, was never recovered, analysis of bullet fragments confirmed the type of firearm used. Evidence also emerged that Marice had a history of domestic violence, having been witnessed striking Renee six months before the murders.
Marice Walker Sr. was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. During his trial, he presented an alibi defense, with a witness testifying they had driven to Chicago with him on the day of the murders. However, the witness could not account for Marice's whereabouts at the time the shootings occurred, having last seen him more than six hours prior. The defense rested its case without Marice taking the stand or calling any other witnesses.
Ultimately, a jury found Marice Walker Sr. guilty on both counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his former wife and her boyfriend. He appealed the conviction, claiming insufficient evidence, but the court upheld the jury's verdict, affirming that the evidence was sufficient to conclude that he had murdered both Renee Walker and Steven Kersey.
