A Lee County jury has found a Mount Pleasant man guilty in connection with the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old woman at a Burlington bar.
Kaysean Rice, 23, was convicted Wednesday of voluntary manslaughter, reckless use of a firearm and intimidation with a dangerous weapon. The first two charges are Class C felonies, while intimidation with a dangerous weapon is an aggravated misdemeanor.
The charges stem from the March 7 shooting death of Janea Osier, 19, of Mount Pleasant, at Chavy’s Bar and Grill in Burlington.
Evidence presented during the trial showed Rice was attacked by Osier and another woman during a fight inside the bar. Surveillance footage captured much of the altercation, but the shooting itself occurred outside the camera’s view.
Rice admitted firing the gun but maintained that he fired a warning shot while being attacked and did not intentionally shoot anyone. Prosecutors argued Rice used deadly force after much of the fight had moved away from him.
Osier was taken to Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in West Burlington, where doctors performed surgery. She died the following morning from her injuries.
The jury of eight men and four women deliberated for nearly three hours following four days of testimony at the South Lee County Courthouse in Keokuk. The case had been moved from Des Moines County following a mistrial in June.
A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Each Class C felony carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison under Iowa law.