Expert: Writing in notebook was slain Iowa man’s

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A crime lab official says a pink notebook that prosecutors argue proves an Iowa man was murdered in 2001 contains the victim’s handwriting but also one page that likely was not.

Division of Criminal Investigation expert Gary Licht testified Monday at the murder trial of Tracey Richter, who is charged with the shooting death of Dustin Wehde at her home in Early, a town in northwest Iowa. Prosecutors say Richter forced Wehde to write the notebook framing her ex-husband in a murder-for-hire scheme, and killed Wehde because she didn’t think he could keep quiet.

Richter says she acted in self-defense.

Licht says the writing claiming Wehde was hired as a hit man was consistent with Wehde’s sample, but one unrelated page at the end with random numbers was not.