–Closing arguments are set for this morning at the Dickinson County Courthouse in Spirit Lake as the First-Degree Murder Trial of Kyle Lou Ricke nears its end. Ricke is accused of fatally shooting Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram in the early evening hours of September 13th, 2023 outside of his mother’s house near the Kossuth County Fairgrounds.
The prosecution rested their case just before noon on Wednesday, calling Dr. Jacob Smith from the State Medical Examiner’s office as their final witness. Before the jury returned to the court following their lunch break, Judge Nancy Whittenburg addressed the defendant after the his lawyers said he would not be testifying in the case.
When the jury returned to the courtroom, the defense rested their case and Judge Whittenburg took a moment to speak to the jurors before dismissing them for the day.
Closing arguments are scheduled for 9AM. The judge will then present the jury their instructions before they begin their deliberations to try and reach a verdict. Ricke faces a mandatory sentence of Life without Parole if convicted on the 1st Degree Murder charge.
