Merrill Man Serving Life Sentence For Murder Dies in Prison

A Merrill man convicted of 1st degree murder in the shooting death of his stepson, has died. Thomas Jordan Knappwas pronounced dead due to natural causes at 10:36 Thursday morning while in hospice at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center where he had been housed due to chronic illness. Knappwas 84years old.

Knapp was convicted of first degree murder in Plymouth County District Court last fall after prosecutors, during the trial, say Knapp struck his wife with his fists and a stick, then shot his step-son, Kevin Juzek. Knapp’s wife, Darlene, was Juzek’s mother.

Knappbegan serving a life sentence on October14, 2022.

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