Judge asks that Yvette Louisell be paroled ‘at the earliest opportunity’
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled June 26 that Yvette Louisell, a former ISU student, must to be resentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
July 23, 2015
District Court Judge James C. Ellefson is asking for former ISU student Yvette Louisell to be paroled “at the earliest opportunity.”
Louisell was convicted of first-degree murder for the 1987 stabbing death of Keith Stillwell.
She was 17 years old and was originally sentenced to life without the possibility of parole Sept. 21, 1998.
Background of the case
Louisell met Stillwell, a 40-year-old budget analyst at the National Animal Disease Lab in Ames, at a local art institute. Stillwell, a student in the class, hired Louisell to model privately in his home.
Louisell said the stabbing was in self-defense after Stillwell tried to sexually assault her.
A jury rejected Louisell’s claims, finding her guilty of first-degree murder.
Related cases
In the Miller v. Alabama case in 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Eighth Amendment prohibits mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders.
After the Miller decision, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad reduced Louisell’s life-without-parole sentence, along with the 37 other juvenile offenders in Iowa, to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 60 years in prison.
In the Iowa v. Null, Iowa v. Ragland and Iowa v. Pearson from August 2013, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the Miller decision must be applied retroactively.
Louisell’s mandatory life-without-parole sentence fell within the category of sentences the U.S. Supreme Court ruled were in violation of the Eighth Amendment.
Ellefson’s district court sentencing
In February 2014, Ellefson sentenced Louisell to 25 years in prison, putting her on track to be released because she had already served more than 25 years.
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled June 26 that the district court did not have the authority to sentence Louisell to a determinate term of 25 years in prison. The court ruled that Louisell must be resentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Support for Louisell
According to court documents, the county attorney who prosecuted Louisell in 1988, Mary Richards, “testified she believes Louisell has served enough time and has been punished sufficiently.”
Judge Allan Goode, who presided over Louisell’s 1988 trial, wrote a letter saying Louisell could make positive contributions to the community if she were released from prison.
“This Court is convinced that Ms. Louisell has achieved as much rehabilitation as she can while in custody and that she now presents no danger to the community if released,” Ellefson wrote in his resentencing order. “It is the Court’s opinion that she should be paroled so that she can continue her rehabilitation and become a contributing member of society and a taxpayer instead of a burden.”
Louisell is currently incarcerated at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville, Iowa.
Board of Parole
The Board of Parole will have to decide whether to grant parole to Louisell.
According to court documents, “Louisell contends the likelihood of ever receiving parole is negligible given the parole board’s steadfast refusal to grant juvenile offenders release.”
Since the rulings in the Iowa v. Null, Iowa v. Ragland and Iowa v. Pearson cases were made in 2013, only one of Iowa’s 38 juvenile offenders originally sentenced to life without parole has been granted parole.
Kristina Fetters was released to hospice care for treatment for breast cancer. She died July 27, 2014, at the age of 34.
