1928 - 1990

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• Birth	29 Jan 1928	Muscatine , Muscatine , Iowa
  Gender	Female
  Died	15 Jan 1990
  Buried	Greenwood Cemetery , Muscatine , Muscatine , Iowa
  Person ID	I46220	Brainard (Brainerd) / Foster / Fish
  Last Modified	08 Mar 2005 00:00:00
  Family	Charles J. YERINGTON, b. 26 Jun 1928, Muscatine , Iowa
  Married	15 Aug 1949	Muscatine , Muscatine , Iowa
  Family ID	F20591	Group Sheet

• Notes

  Mary Rogness's - Spouse of first cousin twice removed MUSCATINE JOURNAL July 9, 1986 VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, Woman is charged here in husband's death. A Muscatine woman was arrested and charged Tuesday with voluntary manslaughter in connection with the stragulation death of her husband. Dulcia Yerington, 58, 1113 E. 8th St., is charged with strangling her husband, Charles, who was found dead in the couple's home early Sunday morning. Capt. Ron Martin of the Muscatine Police Department said the woman voluntarily came to the Public Safety Building at noon Tuesday. She was questioned on the charge, Martin said. Voluntary manslaughter is a Class C felony that carries a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $10,000. At an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon, Associate District Judge James Weaver appointed public defender John Wunder as Yerington's attorney and set bond at $23,000. A pre-release investigation was also ordered, according to court documents. Muscatine County Attorney Stephen J. Petersen said Yerington was taken to Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute for "preliminary psychiatric evaluation" Petersen said she will be returned for a second court appearance at 8 a.m. Friday at Muscatine General Hospital. She will remain in police custody while hospitalized, Petersen said. Court documents say a preliminary hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. July 15. Martin said the strangulation was "an outgrowth of a domestic quarrel." The woman reported to police at 1:13 p.m. Saturday that her husband was two hours late in returning home. When Yerington returned home late Saturday afternoon, a quarrel broke out. "According to Mrs. Yerington, she thought he was downtown drinking," Martin said. He also indicated the couple had a history of domestic disputes. Martin said an abrasion and bleeding on the dead man's forhead would indicate that a fight had taken place. "It would be speculation on my part to describe what happened after Yerington returned home." Martin said. "A preliminary oral statement from the pathologist said strangulation was the cause of death." according to Martin. Reports said Yerington had a bad heart and was on medication. Once heart attack was ruled out as the cause of death, police were able to investigate other possibilities, the captain said. The autopsy did indicate that a ligature, or an item that can be tied or bound, was used to strangle Yerington late Saturday night. Police Monday executed a search warrent at the house and seized several items. The items included a blood spot from a carpet, a plastic bag containing four drop cords, a sheet from the upstairs bed, a blue nightgown from an upstairs bedroom, two telephone cords, binoculars, a brown towel, seven table lamps, and a black porcelain lamp. The items were sent to the DCI criminalistics lab in Des Moines for analysis. "We think we have the item that was used but I cannot identify it." Martin said. According to initial reports, Dulcia Yerington notified authorities at 6:21 a.m. Sunday that she had discovered her husband dead. The man was dead and lying on the living room floor when emergency medical technician arrived on the scene. Investigating the "questioned death case" were the Muscatine Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Muscatine County Attorney. MUSCATINE JOURNAL July 11, 1986 A non-public court proceeding regarding Dulcia Yerington, 58, 1113 E. 8th St. was held this morning at Muscatine General Hospital. County attorney Stephen J. Petersen said he could not comment on the proceedings. Yerington's attorney, public defender, John Wunder, said he was not at liberty to comment to the media. Yerington is charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection with the strangulation death of her husband, Charles Yerington, 58. The man was found dead in the couple's home early Sunday morning by emergency medical technicians. A preliminary autopsy report indicated strangulation as the cause of death. Authorities also executed a search warrent to seize several items from the home which could be used a ligature. Petersen said he would file a trial information in the case Monday, with arraignment set for July 21. Yerington remains in custody at the Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute under $23,000 bond. MUSCATINE JOURNAL, July 1986 Dulcia Yerington, 58, 1113 E. 8th St, charged with the strangulation death of her husband, suffers from "mental problems" which may force court proceedings to be suspended, according to documents filed Monday in Muscatine County District Court. Yerington was charged with voluntary manslaughter after she allegedly strangled her husband, Charles, 58, in the couple's home July 5 following a domestic dispute. A hearing to suspend court proceedings in the case was scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday at the request of county Attorney Stephen J. Petersen. A preliminary examination of Yerington, conducted at Mount Pleasant Mental Health Center, "would indicated the defendant is suffering from atypical psychosis" documents say. A psychosic is definetly a major mental disorder in which the personality is disorganized and contact with reality is usually impaired. According to Iowa code, court proceedings must be suspended whenever the defendant appears to suffer from a mental disorder. Petersen said the hearing would determine if Yerington is able to understand the charges against her and to assist in her defense. The proceedings would be temporarily suspended until a court ruled she had the neccessary understanding of the charges against her. The hearing is not a mental competency hearing, Petersen said. "A mental competency hearing would determine whether is persn is a danger to themselves or others," he said. Reading from a preliminary medical examiner's report. Petersen said Charles Yerington died at approximately 10:15 p.m. July 5. Strangulation was the cause of death as ligature marks were found on Yeringotn's neck, the report said. Ligature is any item that can be tied or bound. Several items that could be used a ligature or which contained blood stains were seized as a result of execution of a search warrent. The items were taken to the Division of Criminal Investigation criminalistics lab in Des Moines. Petersen said it is not yet known what item was used in the strangulation death, but the Associated Press reported Monday Yerington "told police she had strangled her husband with the straps of his blue body building shirt." Petersen said that Yerington had also told police she used a telephone cord to strangle her husband so he would stop hurting her. Capt. Ron Martin of the Muscatine Police Department said he could not comment on the question of what item was used in connection with the death. Police previously reported the death was an outgrowth of a domestic quarrel when Charles Yerington returned home two hours late Saturday afternoon, July 5. The couple had had a history of domestic disputes, police said. Dulcia Yerington reported the death to authorities at 6:21 a.m. July 6. She voluntarily went to the Public Safety Building July 8, whre she was questioned and charged with voluntary manslaughter. Yerington is represented by public defender John wunder. Her bond was set at $23,000 and she is held in custody at the Mount Pleasant Mental Health Center.