New trial set for man in Iowa City landlord slaying

A new trial has been set for a man whose murder conviction in a 2009 slaying was overturned.

The trial for Justin Marshall, 25, of Iowa City has been set for Sept. 27, with a pre-trial conference to be held on Sept. 16, according to online court documents. His cash-only bond of $1 million dollars also has been reinstated, according to Johnson County Jail booking information.

Marshall was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2013 for the murder of John Versypt, 64. The landlord was shot to death during an attempted robbery in what is now known as the Orchard Place Condominiums on Broadway Street in southeast Iowa City.

In June 2015, an appeals court overturned Marshall's conviction on the grounds that testimony from inmates used as informants by the prosecution should not have been allowed. The Iowa Supreme Court affirmed that ruling in June.

Two other people also were charged in Versypt's death. Charles Thompson was charged with first-degree murder but proceedings ended in a mistrial when the prosecution inadvertently played inadmissible evidence for the jury. Before a second trial could take place, Thompson agreed to a plea deal, in which he pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and agreed to testify against Marshall, and was credited for time served. Courtney White eventually pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness and was credited for time served.

Reach Zach Berg at 319-887-5412, zberg@press-citizen.com, or follow him on Twitter at @ZacharyBerg.