Where Is Seth Techel Now? Lisa Techel Murder Case Update

Publish date: 2024-05-17

Seth Techel is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole after being convicted of the first-degree murder of his wife in July 2014. At the time of her death, Lisa Techel was four months pregnant with their child.

Seth Techel, an Iowa native, was convicted guilty of first-degree murder in July 2014. He was found guilty of murdering his wife, Lisa Techel, with a shotgun on May 23, 2012.

He is serving the life sentence without the possibility of parole as of now. 

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Iowa: Where Is Seth Techel Now?

Seth Techel, now 30, was life sentence without the possibility of release for the murder of Lisa Techel in their trailer near Agency, Iowa, in May 2012. 

He was convicted guilty of first-degree murder in July 2014. Lisa and Seth had only been married for seven months when she was slain, and she was four months pregnant with their first child.

Bonnie: Monsters Among Us: Seth Andrew Techel killed his wife Lisa and their unborn child, Zoe; Sentenced to L... http://t.co/lqBFfosOTW

— Crime News (@crimenews) April 18, 2015

In Agency, a small hamlet in rural southeastern Iowa, the couple resided in a trailer. Techel was suspected of killing his wife to be with Rachel McFarland, a coworker with whom he had been seeking a romance for months.

Techel stated in a panicked 911 call that an intruder entered his house early that morning, murdered his sleeping wife, and escaped. That story, according to prosecutors, was a fabrication.

Techel maintained his innocence while pointing to other probable suspects, including a now-deceased mentally ill neighbor with whom he had a long-running conflict.

The first two trials resulted in hung juries, with jurors split on whether he was guilty or not. At the third trial, Techel was found guilty of first-degree murder and nonconsensual termination of a human fetus.

A "Dateline NBC" episode was devoted to the case.

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Seth Techel And Lisa Techel Murder Case Update

Seth Techel murdered his wife, Lisa Techel, a county prison staffer and reserve sheriff's deputy. Many people were relieved when the third trial reached a conclusion after four hours of discussion and convicted him guilty of the murder. 

Micah Sheehen, a juror in Techel's first trial, expressed her delight with the guilty decision. 

Catch @DatelineNBC tonight?

Here's a roundup of all of our coverage of the 2014 murder trial of Seth Techel in the May 26, 2012, death of his pregnant wife, Lisa: https://t.co/FAKWfGZZw5

— Des Moines Register (@DMRegister) December 30, 2017

"I wept. There was a huge sense of relief "Sheehen, 42, of Agency, agreed. "Everyone is relieved that it's over, that it's ended, and that he's been found guilty."

After all 12 jurors agreed on the guilty convictions, Lisa Techel's father, sheriff's officer Todd Caldwell, wiped away tears.

Prosecutor Andrew Prosser told jurors that the messages between Seth Techel and Rachel McFarland, who worked together at a job training facility in Ottumwa, "read like a countdown to Lisa Techel's death."

He said that Techel's texts promising to leave his wife to be with McFarland the day before the crime provided him with a compelling reason to murder his love.

Seth Techel Had An Affair With Co-worker Rachel McFarland

Seth Techel's affair with coworker Rachel McFarland was a key component in his conviction for his wife's death. Court Judge Richard Doyle stated that failing to reveal the affair was potentially exculpatory evidence. 

The evidence against Techel was "circumstantial and amenable to conflicting perspectives by reasonable jurors," according to Doyle. But it was sufficient to show guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Techel had warned McFarland that he would leave his wife on the day she was slain and was inside the trailer when the shooting occurred. And failed to assist Lisa despite being trained to do so, according to Doyle.

When asked to write down all the weapons in the trailer at the time, Techel did not include the shotgun that was used to shoot Lisa, according to Doyle. The rifle was eventually discovered in the property's dense grass.

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