Spirit Lake, Iowa — A woman who is facing trial in connection with a December 2020 Dickinson County murder case has opted to have a judge hear her case.
27-year-old Allison Marie Decker is charged with 1st Degree Murder, 2nd Degree Theft and Conspiracy to Commit a Non-Forcible Felony in connection with the death of Angel Bastman, whose lifeless body was discovered in the basement of her Lake Park home on December 22nd, 2020.
On Wednesday of this week, Decker officially waived her right to a jury trial in the case, according to online court records. Her guilt or innocence will now be decided by a District Court Judge when she goes on trial this fall.
In December of last year, Decker’s co-defendant, Justice Berntson, had originally pled Not Guilty, but changed his plea to Guilty to a reduced charge of Attempted Murder. Court records indicate that Berntson will be sentenced in his case AFTER the completion of Decker’s trial.
