A pre-trial conference was held Tuesday in the Jason Carter murder trial. Carter is accused of the June 2015 shooting death of his mother Shirley; he has already been found liable for her death in a civil case, and now faces first-degree murder charges. The defence has introduced motions to exclude select evidence shared in the civil trial with the criminal trial jury because it could be unfairly prejudicial. This includes information about the financial status of Jason Carter at the time of the murder. On Tuesday Marion County Attorney Ed Bull asked the Court to reconsider the Court’s prior ruling and made an offer of proof. His argument was the financial status of Carter is necessary to help establish motive.

Bull estimates that Carter farmed approximately 2,300 acres under the business name Broadview Farms. Approximately 930 acres farmed by the business is owned by Carter’s mother-in-law. An additional 750 acres was owned by the estate of Mabel McDonald, and had been previously cash-rented and farmed by Jason Carter. All other land rented by Jason was land that previously had been farmed by Bill Carter prior to Bill deciding to slow down. Bill had approached his landlords asking that his son Jason be allowed to take over the contracts. Bull states the day before the murder, the heir to the estate, Michael McDonald, was putting up flyers saying the land was available, putting 750 acres of Jason’s potential 2,300 acre operation at risk. The additional 930 acres owned by his mother-in-law was also at risk, as it was established at the civil trial that Jason Carter was having a secret affair, and if his mother-in-law found out, that land could possibly be withdrawn. The allegations of potential economic hardship was used in the civil trial to help establish motive, as was allegations of wasteful spending on equipment, and the approximately $35,000 hunting trip Jason took to New Zealand that year.

Bull said during the hearing that the day of the murder, Broadview Farms had only $11,000 left in a credit line of $575,000, with a pending check of approximately $6,000 that was used to pay for a piece of farm equipment. Two personal bank accounts had less than $100 in them.

The defense disputes this assessment, and disagrees that Jason Carter and Broadview Farms were in any economic difficulties.

It is unclear what will be determined admissible to the criminal trial from the civil trail, as the motion has been sealed from the public.

A hearing will be held today beginning at 1:00 at the Marion County Courthouse. The trial will be held in Council Bluffs.