OTTUMWA, Iowa (KYOU) - A judge will issue a verdict Monday in the murder trial of an Ottumwa man.

Joshua Michael is charged with first-degree murder for a 2024 stabbing in Foster park that killed 40-year-old Jeffrey Johns. A criminal complaint says Michael stabbed Johns in the chest. Johns later died at the hospital.

Michael requested a bench trial that was held in September, meaning a judge will decide the verdict instead of a jury. His attorneys argued self-defense for the murder.

The judge issued a notice to read the verdict in court at 2:30 pm on Monday. If convicted, Michael faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

Michael is also charged in connection with a home break-in. Ottumwa Police say Michael broke into a home in May of 2024 and attacked the man inside. A trial in tha

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