Greene man’s murder conviction partially presented in sex abuse trial

By Chris Baldus  |  cbaldus@charlescitypress.com

Closing arguments are expected today in the trial over the alleged rape of a houseguest in Marble Rock in May.

Prosecution rested its case against Stephen Brodersen Jr., 47, who now lives in Greene, after calling medical and law enforcement personnel to the stand along with the alleged victim.

Brodersen had not decided by the end of Wednesday’s court session with the jury whether he will take the stand in his own defense on Thursday.

The jury was allowed to hear limited information from the alleged victim about Brodersen’s conviction as a teen in Maine for killing his mother. District Court Judge Christopher Foy, ruling on a defense motion seeking to preclude admission of Brodersen’s criminal record, said the alleged victim could include in her testimony that she knew he stabbed his mother, but not that she died or his conviction.

County Attorney Rachel Ginbey argued for introducing the 1986 murder conviction as a reason that the victim did not fight against Brodersen.

“The state seeks to introduce evidence of the conviction for the purposes of explaining to the jury the victim’s state of mind and reason as to why she did not struggle or fight the defendant during the sexual assault,” she wrote in her resistance.

In her testimony, the alleged victim said she knew of his past and decided to “zone out.”

She also testified that she had been raped as a child and nothing was done about it.

The jury also watched an interview of Brodersen by Floyd County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Bartz. In it, Brodersen said he and the woman were in a sexual relationship when they worked together at a fast food restaurant in Maine. It lasted about eight months, he said.

He said she typically was on social media during sex and he always stopped when she told him to do. He also said when the woman contacted him about coming to Iowa on her way to the West Coast, they agreed to resume their sexual relationship.

She testified that she made it clear in text messages that she did not agree to that.

Brodersen testified that he performed sexual acts on her but knew what her limits were and that she did not ever say no, even when he inadvertently penetrated her.

The jury also listened to the 911 call that she made when she discovered Brodersen was unresponsive one morning because of a suicide attempt with medication. She told the dispatcher that she and her friend had been fighting the night before because of something he had done.

“He actually raped me the other day,” she said.

Foy denied a motion from Public Defender Nellie O’Mara seeking to have the case thrown out, claiming there was insufficient evidence to prove a sexual assault.

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