BREAKING NEWS THIS AFTERNOON FROM THE DES MOINES COUNTY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE:
COUNTY ATTORNEY PAT JACKSON TODAY(TUE) MOVED TO DISMISS CHARGES AGAINST DOUG METCALF, THE SECOND-OF-TWO OPERATORS IN THE FATAL MISSISSIPPI RIVER JON-BOAT COLLISION ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER ON MAY 19TH OF LAST YEAR. A RELEASE FROM JACKSON’S OFFICE SAYS THE DISMISSAL OF THE CRIMINAL COUNTS AGAINST METCALF AND…EARLIER…AGAINST JOE SCHIER JUNIOR ARE THE RESULT OF INFORMATION LEARNED BY THE PROSECUTION SUBSEQUENT TO THE FILING OF CHARGES. BASED UPON THE EVIDENCE AS IT IS NOW KNOWN TO THE STATE OF IOWA, THE PROSECUTION CANNOT PROVE THE CHARGES AGAINST MR. METCALF BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. THE RELEASE GOES ON TO SAY…THEREFORE…THAT IT’S INCUMBENT UPON THE STATE TO DISMISS. THE PRE-DAWN COLLISION CLAIMED THE LIVES OF CAITLYN ATCHLEY…JACOB BOYD…BLAKE EAKINS…AND MATTHEW HOUSE. EIGHT OTHERS WERE INJURED.
