Iowa teen faces 20 years after fatally shoving woman in 'extreme anger'

Iowa teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of group home worker

STAY INFORMED. NEW TONIGHT AN IOWA TEEN HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER IN THE DEATH OF AN EMPLOYEE AT A RESIDENTIAL YOUTH HOME IN JOHNSTON. BUT THE FAMILY OF THAT WOMAN SAYS THE CHARGE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIGHER FOR THE 16 YEAR-OLD. ��vlog. OPHELIA JACOBSON IS LIVE AT THE POLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE TONIGHT. OPHELIA. HE PLED TO A REDUCED CHARGE. YES. STACY AND BEN. THAT’S RIGHT. JAVON MATHIS WAS ORIGINALLY CHARGED IN JUVENILE COURT WITH SECOND DEGREE MURDER, BUT PROSECUTORS WANTED TO MOVE THAT CASE TO ADULT COURT. SO AS PART OF THAT PLEA AGREEMENT, MATHIS AGREED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, WHICH IS A REDUCED CHARGE. AND TODAY WE SAW WE SAW MATHIS FOR THE FIRST TIME AS HE ENTERED THAT PLEA AGREEMENT HERE AT THE COURTHOUSE WEARING SHACKLES AND HANDCUFFS. 16 YEAR OLD JAVON MATHIS ENTERED A POLK COUNTY COURTROOM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE FIRST TIME. I HAD LEFT THE CAMPUS OF ELLIPSES AND A STATE OF EXTREME ANGER DESCRIBING WHAT HAPPENED ON MAY 8TH, 2024. IN HIS OWN WORDS, HE SAYS HE WAS TRYING TO WALK INTO THE STREET OUTSIDE OF THE JOHNSTON YOUTH RESIDENTIAL FACILITY THAT DAY WHEN KATHLEEN GALLOWAY, AN EMPLOYEE, BLOCKED HIM. THAT MADE ME EVEN ANGRIER. SO I SAW I PUSHED PAST HER SO HARD THAT SHE FLEW INTO THE AIR AND LANDED IN THE STREET AND HIT HER HEAD. GALLOWAY DIED FROM A BRAIN INJURY A FEW DAYS LATER. HOW DO YOU PLEAD? GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY? GUILTY, YOUR HONOR. ARE YOU PLEADING GUILTY BECAUSE YOU ARE, IN FACT, GUILTY? YES. YOUR HONOR, IT JUST FEELS LIKE IT’S MINIMIZING HER DEATH IN A WAY, YES. GOING DOWN A CHARGE, GALLOWAY MAKES TWO DAUGHTERS SAY THEY WERE HAPPY. MATHIS PLEADED GUILTY, BUT THEY WISH HE WAS BEING CHARGED FOR SECOND DEGREE MURDER. I WAS ALSO WILLING TO GO TO TRIAL FOR FOR THE SECOND DEGREE, BUT THAT’S OKAY. MATHIS, WHO WAS 15 AT THE TIME, ALSO PLEADED GUILTY TO THREE AGGRAVATED MISDEMEANORS AND FOUR SERIOUS MISDEMEANORS FOR ASSAULTS ON POLICE OFFICERS WHO RESPONDED TO THE INCIDENT. HE FACES UP TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON. WE DO FEEL EMPATHY FOR HIM. IT’S HARD KNOWING THAT HE GETS TO LIVE ON AND SHE DOES. A POWER STRUGGLE IN HER HEAD SOMETIMES. DID THAT HAPPEN IN THE HEAT OF PASSION? YES. DID YOU HAVE ANY TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT? NO. THE SISTERS SAY THEY HOPE THEY CAN GET TO A PLACE OF FORGIVENESS ONE DAY. THEY ALSO WANT MATHIS TO GROW FROM THIS. AND IT IS POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO TO MOVE PAST IT AND TO EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, LEARN FROM IT AND BECOME A BETTER PERSON. AND AND THIS EVENTUALLY WON’T DEFINE YOU. AND MATHIS WILL BE SENTENCED AS A YOUTHFUL OFFENDER, WHICH MEANS HE WON’T BE FORMALLY SENTENCED UNTIL HE TURNS 18. THE JUDGE SET A DATE FOR HIS SENTENCING HEARING FOR JULY 31ST, 2026. AND THE TWO SISTERS TELL ME THAT THEY PLAN TO PRESENT VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENTS, THEN LIVE IN DOWNTOWN DES MOINES. OPHELIA JACOBSON, ��vlog EIGHT NEWS. IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. ��vlog INVESTIGATES HAS ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF KATHLEEN GALLOWAY. MANY DATA FROM JOHNSTOWN POLICE SHOWS THAT DURING A THREE YEAR SPAN, THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED ALMOST 1000 CALLS FOR SERVICE TO THAT FACILITY. 676 CALLS WERE TO ADDRESS RUNAWAYS. OSHA FINED ELLIPSES MORE THAN $37,000 IN THE INVESTIGATION. ELLIPSES SAYS IT HAS MADE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS SINCE THE INCIDENT. THE ORGANIZATION SAYS IT DOES NOT HAVE PLANS TO LOCK THE BUILDING FROM THE INSIDE, BUT HAS BUILT AN EIGHT FOOT TALL IRON FENCE AROUND THE PROPERTY. THERE WILL BE A CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR KATHLEEN GALLOWAY. IT IS SATURDAY AT THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE

Iowa teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of group home worker

An Iowa teenager says he was "in a state of extreme anger" on May 8, 2024, when he pushed past Kathleen Galloway-Menke, shoving her to the ground and fatally wounding her.On Wednesday, 16-year-old Jovahn Karhim Deon Mathis pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for the incident. He was originally charged with second-degree murder.Mathis, who was 15 at the time, was a resident of the Ellipsis group home in Johnston in May 2024. On the day of the assault, Mathis was walking away from the group home, and Galloway-Menke stepped in front of him to stop him from running into a busy street. In pushing past her, Mathis shoved her to the ground. She died of a brain injury a few days later.During a plea hearing on Wednesday, Mathis said he had left the group home "in a state of extreme anger" and that Galloway-Menke had made him even angrier when she stepped in front of him. Chloe Williamson and Camille Menke, both daughters of Galloway-Menke, said they were happy he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. However, they wish the charges were higher. "It just feels like it's minimizing her death in a way, going down a charge," Williamson said.The charge was reduced from second-degree murder to voluntary manslaughter as part of a plea agreement. "I was also willing to go to trial for second degree, but that's okay," Menke said.The sisters said they hope they can get to a place of forgiveness one day. They also want Mathis to grow from this.Mathis also pleaded guilty to three aggravated misdemeanors and four serious misdemeanors for assaults on police officers who responded to the event.Mathis will be sentenced as a youth offender, meaning he won't be formally sentenced until he turns 18. He faces up to 20 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for July 31, 2026. Until then, he is incarcerated at the Iowa Boys State Training School in Eldora.The daughters of Galloway-Menke said they will hold a celebration of life for their mother on Saturday, May 21 at noon. It will be held at the Izaak Walton Leage in Des Moines. “My heart goes out to the family of Kathleen Galloway-Menke. This tragedy should never have occurred,” said Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham. “We believe this will create the longest period of accountability possible, given all the circumstances and evidence in this case. I'm heartbroken for Kathleen's family and will continue to remember her dedication to helping kids, her amazing daughters, and the light that she was in our community." ��vlog Investigates: Following the death of a staff member, Ellipsis CEO addresses safety concernsTeenage Ellipsis resident charged with murder after deadly assault of staffer'We feel very broken': Daughters of Ellipsis worker killed in assault call for changePolice say teenage Ellipsis resident made threats to staffer prior to deadly assaultMore Ellipsis coverage» Subscribe to ��vlog's YouTube page» Download the free ��vlog app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

DES MOINES, Iowa —

An Iowa teenager says he was "in a state of extreme anger" on May 8, 2024, when he pushed past Kathleen Galloway-Menke, shoving her to the ground and fatally wounding her.

On Wednesday, 16-year-old Jovahn Karhim Deon Mathis pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for the incident. He was originally charged with second-degree murder.

Mathis, who was 15 at the time, was a resident of the Ellipsis group home in Johnston in May 2024. On the day of the assault, Mathis was walking away from the group home, and Galloway-Menke stepped in front of him to stop him from running into a busy street. In pushing past her, Mathis shoved her to the ground. She died of a brain injury a few days later.

During a plea hearing on Wednesday, Mathis said he had left the group home "in a state of extreme anger" and that Galloway-Menke had made him even angrier when she stepped in front of him.

Chloe Williamson and Camille Menke, both daughters of Galloway-Menke, said they were happy he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. However, they wish the charges were higher.

"It just feels like it's minimizing her death in a way, going down a charge," Williamson said.

The charge was reduced from second-degree murder to voluntary manslaughter as part of a plea agreement.

"I was also willing to go to trial for second degree, but that's okay," Menke said.

The sisters said they hope they can get to a place of forgiveness one day. They also want Mathis to grow from this.

Mathis also pleaded guilty to three aggravated misdemeanors and four serious misdemeanors for assaults on police officers who responded to the event.

Mathis will be sentenced as a youth offender, meaning he won't be formally sentenced until he turns 18. He faces up to 20 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for July 31, 2026. Until then, he is incarcerated at the Iowa Boys State Training School in Eldora.

The daughters of Galloway-Menke said they will hold a celebration of life for their mother on Saturday, May 21 at noon. It will be held at the Izaak Walton Leage in Des Moines.

“My heart goes out to the family of Kathleen Galloway-Menke. This tragedy should never have occurred,” said Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham. “We believe this will create the longest period of accountability possible, given all the circumstances and evidence in this case. I'm heartbroken for Kathleen's family and will continue to remember her dedication to helping kids, her amazing daughters, and the light that she was in our community."