CEDAR RAPIDS — A Linn County jury found a Marengo man guilty of attempted murder Tuesday in a 2016 shooting, following a five day trial and about five hours of deliberations.
Testimony showed David Clancy, 60, shot his friend, Paul Tillman, 61, of Cedar Rapids, over an alleged debt owed to Clancy on May 24, 2016 outside of Tillman’s residence at 1016 Eighth St. SE. The two men got into fight and Clancy fired his Glock handgun three times after Tillman ran up to his front porch and grabbed a 2-foot piece of wood.
Clancy shot Tillman once in his right biceps and then as Tillman turned to run away, Clancy fired another shot, hitting him in the back of his shoulder, according to testimony. The third shot didn’t strike Tillman.
According to testimony, Clancy left the house after the shooting and he was arrested the next day at his home in Marengo. Investigators recovered three shell casings near the location of where Tillman was standing.
Assistant Linn County Attorney Jordan Schier said the men were about 5 to 8 feet apart when the shooting happened. According to testimony, the two men had been friends for a few years and Clancy would sometimes buy marijuana from Tillman.
The defense claimed Tillman came at him with a 22-gauge shotgun but evidence showed Tillman’s guns were locked up or not easy to access inside the house.
The jury found Clancy guilty of attempted murder and willful injury causing serious injury but acquitted him of going armed with intent.
Schier said it wasn’t clear if Clancy brought the gun with the intention to use it that day or just because he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. There was some testimony that Clancy may have gone out to his truck to get something during the fight but that was unclear.
Clancy faces up to 35 years in prison. He will have to serve a mandatory 17-1/2 years on the attempted murder charge before being eligible for parole. Sentencing is set July 31 in Linn County District Court.
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