Plea agreement reached in Des Moines murder trial

DES MOINES – A plea deal has been reached in the murder trial of a woman accused of killing her stepfather. 

After being charged with Murder in the Second Degree in the shooting death of stepfather Anthony Hartmann, 29-year-old Sera Alexander entered a guilty plea to two amended charges—Involuntary Manslaughter (Class D Felony) and Reckless Use of a Firearm Causing Serious Injury (Class C Felony). 

Alexander’s trial began Monday at the Drake Legal Clinic in Des Moines, with first responders, as well as Alexander’s brother and mother, testifying. 

The prosecution argued that Alexander was driven by anger and hatred, not fear, in shooting Hartmann after he was in the house in May 2017.

“While he was collecting his tools, she was collecting her loaded gun, she was focused, focused on confronting him and removing tony from her life once and for all,” said Assistant Polk County Attorney Shannon Archer. “The imminent threat was his presence”

Defense attorneys, however, said a history of violence and abuse with the family made Alexander feel threatened. 

“Tony displayed a smorsgesborg of behaviors that instilled fear in the whole family, in Sera Alexander, and ultimately contributed to his death,” said defense attorney F. Montgomery Brown. 

Alexander’s mother and Hartmann’s estranged wife, Susan Hartmann, testified Wednesday that she didn’t feel safe in the home, often spending increased time at work.  

“I never knew when I was going to get hurt. When he wasn’t physically hurting me he was threatening. He would threaten to destroy the house,” Hartmann testified. “If I stayed, things would get destroyed in the house. If he wasn’t harming me physically … I never knew when he’d be on a rant and literally be up all night long screaming.”

As part of the plea agreement, Alexander waives her right to appeal, and both sides will be free to argue appropriate sentencing on a to-be-determined date.

Involuntary Manslaughter carries a maximum 5-year prison sentence; Reckless Use of a Firearm Causing Serious Injury carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence. $150,000 in restitution will also be charged to Alexander.