Jan. 11—OTTUMWA — Wapello County Attorney Reuben Neff started off Wednesday by telling a local jury that 55-year-old Gerald William Sapp was brutally and fatally stabbed 16 times in November 2021.
Neff said it’s 43-year-old Douglas Raymond Spurgeon Jr., who caused all 16 stab wounds and Sapp’s death near 105 North Hancock Street on Ottumwa’s south side.
Meanwhile, defense attorneys for Spurgeon advanced theories that there’s more to the story, and predicted the jury would reach a different conclusion once the evidence is heard.
Spurgeon has been charged with first-degree murder, assault while participating in a felony causing serious injury, and going armed with intent. Spurgeon has pled not guilty to all charges. His trial began Tuesday with jury selections. A 14-member panel heard opening statements, as well as testimony from an eyewitness and two investigators on Wednesday.
If ultimately convicted of first-degree murder, Spurgeon would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The day Sapp died, on Nov. 11, 2021, he was working on a vehicle in an alleyway between North Hancock and Weller, just a couple blocks from the John Deere Ottumwa Works plant.
An eye witness, Arthur Dyke, testified Wednesday that he saw an altercation and initially thought Spurgeon was punching Sapp. Then, he saw a knife blade and realized Sapp was in fact being stabbed.
Another witness, Patrick Parker, who made the 911 call, has since died.
But Robert Breckenridge, an attorney for Spurgeon, presented a different version of events that day. He said Spurgeon was outside his mother’s home where he lived smoking a cigarette when he heard someone walking along a fence line on his mother’s property.
Breckenridge said when Spurgeon goes to see who is there, he sees Sapp with “a wild look in his eye,” makes a comment to the effect of “I could put a wig on you b—” and swings a wrench, hitting Spurgeon in the thigh.
“Doug is faced with a fight or flight scenario. He takes out a small pocket knife that he’s got in his pocket and he stabs at him to try and keep him away,” Breckenridge said.
“He stabs him, and Gerald falls to the ground and Doug turns to leave. And Gerald grabs ahold of his leg, and Doug, in a panic, stabs down a couple times to try and get him off of his leg. But he drops the knife, and leaves to go back to his mom’s house.”
He said he was in a panic and crawled into a space where no one could attack him.
“Why would he, as was pointed out, brutally murder somebody — 16 cuts are claimed,” Breckenridge said. “Well you’re going to hear the evidence that’s involved in this case and it’s not going to point to Doug stabbing someone 16 times. It’s going to point to others that are involved.”
Breckenridge pointed a finger to Parker, who he said was owed drug money by Sapp. But, he said, police didn’t test Parker’s clothing.
“They don’t test anybody else,” Breckenridge said. “They don’t look at anybody else. They got their man and it’s cleared by arrest — ‘I’m done.'”
Breckenridge said the murder weapon was never found.
Court filings indicated the trial is expected to last about five days. Action in the courtroom is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Thursday.
Kyle Ocker is the editor of the Ottumwa Courier and the Oskaloosa Herald. He can be reached at kocker@ottumwacourier.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kyle_Ocker.
