Le Mars, Iowa — After several postponements, the case of a northwest Iowa man charged with murder after he allegedly stabbed his sister in June 2016 — is finally going to trial.
Authorities say Thomas Bibler of Le Mars (who is now 35 years old) was taken into custody following a fatal stabbing that happened the evening of Saturday, June 11, 2016. Bibler is accused of fatally stabbing his 27-year-old sister, Shannon Bogh.
He pleaded not guilty in August 2016 to the charges of First Degree Murder, Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury, and Going Armed With Intent. First Degree Murder is a class A Felony. If convicted, Bibler would face a mandatory sentence of life without parole.
The trial and pretrial conferences have been continued many times, starting with a pretrial conference in September of 2016. There are eight former pretrial conference dates in the court’s schedule. In late March 2017, over a year ago, Bibler’s attorney filed a waiver of Bibler’s right to a jury trial. There are five previous dates for which a trial has been set, going back as far as December 2016.
According to the Plymouth County Attorney’s Office, the non-jury trial is underway as of Tuesday morning, July 24th. The court schedule has four days blocked out for the trial, but it could take longer, or it could also be done more quickly. District Judge Jeffrey Neary will hear the case and rule on a verdict as well.
