Plea agreement accepted for Wheatland man charged with attempted murder

Feb. 22—CLINTON — A Seventh Judicial District judge on Tuesday accepted a plea agreement proposed in connection with a January 2021 domestic disturbance in rural Charlotte.

Jesse Lee Doran, 33, of Wheatland, was accused of the attempted murder of Clinton County Sheriff's Sgt. Scott Reyhons; the attempted murder of Doran's grandmother, Beverly Holzrichter; two counts of willful injury causing serious injury, with one count naming Reyhons and the other naming Doran's grandmother as the victims, one count of first-degree burglars, one count of second-degree robbery, and one count of possession or control of a firearm or offensive weapon as a felon.

The charges, all felonies, were filed following a disturbance call at 1066 308th Ave., in rural Clinton County. According to court documents filed by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Scott County Dispatch received a 911 call at 10:51 a.m. on Jan. 15, 2021, in which it sounded as if a physical altercation was ensuing. The call was disconnected.

Dispatch called back and heard an apparent female say something like "Get someone here quick. He's going to kill me." Scott County Dispatch transferred the call to Clinton County Dispatch. According to the report, the call was again disconnected.

Records say Clinton County Dispatch determined that the call had come from the rural Charlotte address, and deputies were dispatched to the location. Reyhons arrived at the scene at 11:11 a.m. Shortly after, he reported by radio that shots had been fired, and he requested an ambulance.

Reyhons reported that he had knocked on the front door of the residence and heard a woman yell from inside the house words to the effect of "He's got a gun."

Almost immediately, a gun fired from inside the residence, and Reyhons realized that he had been shot from gunfire coming through the front door, he said. The pellets from inside the shotgun ammunition had injured his left hand, arm, and shoulder, as well as the left side of his face and head. Other deputies at the scene provided Reyhons with first aid until an ambulance arrived and he was transported to MercyOne Clinton Medical Center where he underwent surgery for non-life threatening injuries. In August of 2022, after further surgeries and time spent in recovery, Reyhons returned to full active duty.

Additional deputies who had responded to the scene encountered Doran and Holzrichter inside the house. Holzrichter later told law enforcement that Doran does not live at the residence, and that Doran had broken into her home, according to court records.

Deputies had served Doran with a no-trespass notice after authorities were called to the same address in July. Doran is accused of going back to the residence the next night and taking items from the property.

Holzrichter said that Doran had knocked her out and struck her with an ax. When emergency services arrived, an ax with apparent blood on it was located on the floor near Holzrichter, the court records state. Holzrichter was transported to Mercy One where she was treated for injuries she sustained when Doran threw an ax at her head, the records say.

Deputies reported that while they were on scene, they saw Doran run out of the house to a farm building, carrying a handgun and a backpack. Doran was later seen dropping the backpack and the gun on the ground in an open field. Soon after, Doran was taken into custody without further incident.

Doran was on parole for a 2018 Scott County drug conviction at the time. As part of his pre-trial release, Doran, who is a military veteran, was ordered to undergo two months of treatment at the V.A. Black Hills Health Center in Hot Springs, South Dakota. Court records say Doran was released from jail and went to the center, but due to the Covid at the center, he was released.

Doran was then ordered to complete intensive outpatient treatment at the VA in the Quad Cities, with housing in that area.

In February 2023, a notice was filed with the courts of Doran's intent to rely on the defenses of diminished capacity, insanity, and self-defense in the matter and a jury trial was scheduled for March of this year.

The accepted plea agreement entered just earlier this month, however, proposed a plea of guilty to the count of first-degree burglary with a dangerous weapon, two counts of willful injury causing serious injury with a dangerous weapon, and second-degree robbery.

The agreement states that all parties have agreed to a sentence of incarceration with the Department of Corrections for a term with a mandatory minimum of 20 years but not to exceed 55 years. For the counts that each carry a dangerous weapon enhancement, it is required that the defendant serves a minimum of five years before he is eligible for parole on each count. For the count of second-degree robbery, the parties agreed that Doran is to serve one-half of a maximum sentence.

The sentences on all four counts are to be served consecutively. The State is to dismiss the remaining charges at a sentencing hearing scheduled for March 28.

Doran currently remains in custody in Clinton County Jail.