Jury finds Fairfield man guilty of manslaughter
Aug. 26—FAIRFIELD — A Louisa County jury found a Fairfield man guilty of voluntary manslaughter Wednesday.
Authorities had originally charged Derrick Maynard with second-degree murder after he was driving a 26-foot U-Haul truck that crashed into a Chevrolet Cobalt driven by his girlfriend, 29-year-old Megan Reid, of Fairfield. Reid died from injuries sustained in the crash.
The crash occurred on May 18, 2020 in Columbus Junction. The Iowa State Patrol investigated the crash and determined Maynard had made a U-turn and intentionally struck the car.
Prosecutors said Maynard intentionally collided with the car, and that the two had been arguing over the phone right before the crash. A passenger in the Cobalt with Reid, 57-year-old Steven Scotton, of Fairfield, was injured in the collision.
Data recovered from the U-Haul truck showed it collided with the car at about 30 mph.
During deliberations, jurors at one point reported they were struggling to reach a verdict. A note from the foreman submitted to the court indicated at the time eight jurors agreed to convict on second-degree murder, while three in the room felt the act was not intentional. The foreman reported "two of the eight would compromise and go with involuntary manslaughter."
The jury ultimately came to an unanimous decision that Maynard was guilty of voluntary manslaughter.
A sentencing hearing has been set for Sept. 30. Voluntary manslaughter is a class C felony in Iowa, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Kyle Ocker is the editor of the Ottumwa Courier and the Oskaloosa Herald. He can be reached at kocker@ottumwacourier.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kyle_Ocker.
