‘I’m killing Jody’ - Court documents provide more details on Sheldon murder

SHELDON, Iowa (KTIV) - Court documents are providing more information about a murder case in northwest Iowa where a son is accused of killing his mother.

Those documents say at the time of the murder, 41-year-old Nathaniel Kassel was living with his mom, 62-year-old Jody Duskin, at 604th 4th Avenue in Sheldon. Authorities allege on the night of Wednesday, March 22 Kassel messaged family members stating “I’m killing Jody.” Later that night, Kassel was overheard in a phone conversation and reportedly said he had made a mistake and hurt someone.

The following day, March 23, documents state Kassel contacted several individuals saying Duskin was sick and could not go to work. According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Duskin’s body was found inside her home on March 23 by another family member, and law enforcement was notified. Documents state Duskin was found inside a bedroom with a fatal gunshot wound.

Shortly after Duskin’s body was found, Kassel was arrested in Flandreau, South Dakota, and charged with first-degree murder. He also faces charges of theft, operating a vehicle without an owner’s consent and felon in possession of a firearm. Kassel has several previous convictions on his record, including theft in Arkansas in 2000, drug possession in Tennessee in 2005 and theft in Iowa in 2012.

When Kassel was arrested in South Dakota, authorities say he had two handguns on him that were stolen from Duskin’s residence.

Kassel is expected to appear in O’Brien County District Court on April 7, 2023. His bond has been set at $1 million.