A Coralville woman will not face prosecution after she allegedly shot and killed a man in June, the Johnson County Attorney’s Office recently announced, saying she was acting in self-defense.
Mason Edwards, 27, was shot twice in the chest and killed just before midnight on June 11, at the Western Hills Mobile Home Park on the west side of Coralville.
Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith, in a release on Friday, Oct. 31, said no charges will be filed against Michelle Jenkins-Robertson, the woman who shot and killed Edwards. Zimmermann Smith said her office determined “there is not enough evidence to show that the force was not justified.”
Zimmermann Smith also said they couldn’t find evidence “to rebut the legal presumption” from Iowa code section 704.2A, which covers justifiable uses of deadly force. The shooting was “necessary to avoid injury or risk to her life or safety or the safety of others,” according to the release.
Jenkins-Robertson, 28, was in an “intermittent relationship” with Edwards and lived in Western Hills when the shooting occurred, the release said. Investigators determined they weren’t living together.
A toxicology report indicated that Edwards’ blood alcohol concentration on the night he was killed was at .230.
Edwards allegedly attacked woman before she shot him
Edwards allegedly called Jenkins-Robertson shortly before he arrived at her residence in Western Hills in June. Minutes later, he “forced his way through the front door” of Jenkins-Robertson’s home and began arguing with her.
Edwards then attacked Jenkins-Robertson. According to prosecutors, he began “punching her repeatedly, grabbed her hair and eventually placed her in a headlock.” She allegeldy fought back, escaping his grasp before she grabbed a gun she had recently placed near her bed. She pointed the firearm at Edwards, instructing him to leave.
According to investigators, Jenkins-Robertson had the gun near her bed because of “Edwards’ escalating behavior in the days and weeks before” the June 11 incident.
Edwards allegedly refused to leave and moved closer to her. The Johnson County Attorney’s Office said Jenkins-Robertson feared death or injury and fired two shots, striking Edwards.
Jenkins-Robertson called 911 “immediately,” according to investigators, and admitted she shot Edwards. First responders arrived and rendered aid to Edwards, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jenkins-Robertson told police there was a history of domestic violence between her and Edwards. According to investigators, police had been called three times to intervene in disputes between Jenkins-Robertson and Edwards. The attorney’s release does not specify any previous physical altercations between the two.
Edwards was born in Iowa City on Sept. 13, 1997, and graduated from Clear Creek Amana High School, according to an online obituary. He is survived by his two daughters.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Officials rule Coralville woman was acting in self-defense in June shooting that killed man
Reporting by Ryan Hansen, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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