Lake Wapello incident spawned two dozen criminal charges

Three people face felony charges after authorities say they placed a noose around the necks of two children at Lake Wapello State Park and photographed them last month, according to court records.

Jerry Paul Nelson, 70, Danise Helyne Nelson, 68, and Jennifer Jean Nelson, 38, were arrested last week for the Aug. 11 incident. All three live at the same address in Des Moines.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources accuses each of them of three felonies and five misdemeanors, including charges of going armed with intent; conspiracy to commit a non-forcible felony; assault with intent to inflict serious injury; harassment and child endangerment, court records show. The felonies are punishable by up to five years in prison apiece.

The incident happened about 2:30 p.m. at a park cabin near Drakesville in Southeast Iowa. Jerry Nelson tied a noose in a rope and hung it from the branch of a cedar tree, according to criminal complaints. The three Nelsons then instructed two children to take a chair from inside Cabin 13 and place it beneath the noose.

They are accused of telling the children “to stand on the chair while a noose was put around their necks and photos were taken,” the complaints said. Other court documents show the children are either 16 or 17 years old.

The intentions of the Nelsons and the purpose of the photos were unclear in court documents. The Iowa DNR declined to comment further on the situation. Jennifer Nelson also declined to comment: “We don’t want to talk to the press.”

The Iowa DNR alleges that the Nelsons were implicated by their own statements about the incident and by photos.

One of the children “has been diagnosed with Asperger’s and he stated he wasn’t comfortable doing the act but did so to keep the peace,” according to a criminal complaint.

Asperger’s syndrome can describe someone who has difficulty navigating social situations, expressing feelings and understanding people’s intentions.

The other juvenile, also identified in court records only by initials, has the same initials as a child of Jennifer Nelson, according to court records associated with a divorce.

The Nelsons were arrested Saturday and were released from the Polk County Jail after they posted $10,000 bails. A judge has barred them from having contact with the children.

Comments: (319) 368-8541; jared.strong@thegazette.com

Iowa Cubs outfielder Brennen Davis’ career has been full of promise but also full of injuries that have stopped him from reaching all of his potential.  

Davis suffered another big setback Tuesday when he was carted off the field after sliding awkwardly into second base during Iowa’s game against the Louisville Bats at Principal Park.

During the second inning of Tuesday’s game, Davis ripped a ball 110.8 mph off the bat into the left-center field gap. He tried turning it into a double but slid short of the base and was tagged out.

Davis laid on the ground as Iowa’s athletic training staff, along with manager Marty Pevey, came to check on him. They appeared to be looking at Davis’ left ankle.

It’s another crushing blow for Davis, a second-round pick by the Cubs in 2018. The 24-year-old, who was once the organization’s No. 1 prospect, has dealt with multiple injuries the last few seasons.

Tuesday’s game was just the 55^th of the season for Davis, who suffered a back fracture earlier in the season. He’s currently ranked as the 27th-best prospect in the organization according to MLB Pipeline.

The Iowa Hawkeyes did not exactly have a great week as a team this past Saturday, blowing a double-digit lead in a loss to the Iowa State Cyclones.

However, Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins is earning some major recognition for his standout performance.

Higgins was Pro Football Focus’ highest-ranked linebacker for Week 2, earning a spectacular 92.4 grade.

The senior defender racked up 11 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in the 20-19 loss, although his role in a blown coverage resulted in a 75-yard touchdown pass by Iowa State.

Higgins has totaled 18 tackles over the Hawkeyes’ first two games of the 2024 campaign. Last year, he led the country with 171 tackles to go along with five tackles for loss, a couple of sacks, a pick, a forced fumble and a pair of fumble recoveries.

The 22-year-old arrived at Iowa in 2020 but had a very limited role, logging two tackles. It was more of the same for Higgins in 2021, as he finished with just five stops and a fumble recovery.

Higgins’ role finally began to grow in 2022, with the Indianapolis native registering 39 tackles and a half of a sack. Still, he didn’t quite put himself on the map until last season.

While Higgins isn’t considered an elite NFL prospect at this stage, he will almost certainly be drafted next spring. Whether that’s early on or in the middle rounds remains to be seen.

Iowa will look to get back on track when it takes on Troy this Saturday.