Hunter
01/07/22
The case of an Iowa City man accused of killing his wife in 2019 now won’t go to trial until July.
The Gazette reports that the trial of Roy Browning Jr. has been reset five times since 2020 due to scheduling conflicts, the suspension of jury trials, and limited jail visits in the early months of the pandemic. The 69-year-old was due to go to trial on February 1st, but his attorneys asked for another continuance last month because of medical circumstances with a key prosecution and defense witness. They also want more time for independent forensic testing.
Investigators believe Browning’s wife, JoEllen Browning, was about to find out that he was taking out high-interest loans , manipulating the couple’s savings account, and falsifying banking records. They were to meet on April 5th 2019 with a financial representative to lay out the discrepancies, but she was found dead an hour before the scheduled meeting.
An examination determined that JoEllen Browning died from sharp-force injuries and ruled her death a homicide.
Browning remains in jail in lieu of a $5 million bail. The new trial date is July 12th.