Keith Furne, 35, of Cedar Rapids, was found guilty April 18 by a Story County jury for text messaging when he slammed his pickup truck into a stopped car in 2016 north of Robins, killing two teen sisters and badly injuring their other sister.
He was found guilty of two counts of homicide by vehicle and one count of reckless driving resulting in serious injury. Furne faces up to 25 years in prison.
Jennifer Perez, the mother of Selena Apodaca, 16, and Isabella Severson, 13, after the verdict was read in April said she felt relief. She said it has been a struggle to move on since the Nov. 3, 2016, crash but she has to for her two other girls — Elysia, now 16, who suffered permanent injuries, and 6-year-old Mia, who had minor injuries.
Furne’s driver’s license was just suspended last month due to a mail error. The Linn County court clerk’s office mailed the notice of his charges last year to the Iowa Department of Transportation but the department didn’t receive the notice. His license should have been suspended after being charged. His license will be revoked after his is sentenced, according to DOT officials.
Furne remains an employee of the City of Cedar Rapids. He is the coordinator of the Tuma Soccer Complex.