Defense and Prosecution Clash Over Evidence Ahead of Bachmurski Murder Trial

Act now—your donation to local news ensures a brighter, more informed tomorrow. DECORAH — As James Bachmurski prepares for his upcoming second-degree murder trial, both his defense team and the State of Iowa have filed motions asking the judge to limit what evidence can be presented to the jury. The trial, related to the 2021 disappearance of 15-year-old Jade Colvin, is scheduled to begin August 25, 2025, in Winneshiek County District Court. Defense Seeks to Block Past Crimes and HearsayBachmurski's attorneys are asking the court to prohibit the prosecution from mentioning his past criminal history, prior arrests, or any unverified accusations. The defense argues that introducing this evidence would unfairly prejudice the jury. The defense is particularly focused on two older Winneshiek County cases, labeled FECR015290 and FECR015325. Those cases involve serious assault and harassment charges. The defense argues these cases are unrelated to the murder charge, too old, and too inflammatory to be considered relevant. Some of the prior convictions were misdemeanors or deferred judgments, and a guilty plea. "[Jurors] will use the evidence precisely for the purpose that it may not be considered for... [for example] the Defendant is a "bad person" and "if he did it before, he probably did it again.," the motion states, citing Iowa evidence rules. The defense also seeks to block any hearsay statements, such as second-hand accounts or statements recorded in police reports, unless they fall under recognized exceptions in Iowa's rules of evidence. Bachmurski's team has also asked the court to bar prosecutors and witnesses from referring to Colvin as a "victim." Attorneys argue that the term is prejudicial, injecting negative connotations into the trial that the defendant cannot defend himself against. Prosecution Moves to Exclude Defense EvidenceAt the same time, the State of Iowa has asked the court to prevent the defense from using certain evidence in the trial. The motion focuses on a report produced by Bachmurski's investigators using Clearview AI, a facial recognition software. Clearview AI is a facial recognition platform used primarily by law enforcement agencies to identify individuals by comparing photos against a large database of publicly available images, including social media and news sources. The software claims to use over 60+ billion "facial images" sourced from explicitly public web sources. The software is designed to help investigators track suspects or locate missing persons, but experts and privacy advocates have raised concerns about its accuracy and potential misuse. The prosecution argues that Clearview AI is inherently unreliable. According to the software's terms of use, its results are only "indicative," must be independently verified, and are not meant to be used as the sole source for identifying a person. The defense has not provided proof that it independently verified the AI results, the State says, making the risk of misleading the jury greater than any potential value of the evidence. In his ongoing defense, James Bachmurski has filed a motion to subpoena additional evidence, including surveillance footage and follow-up records related to a reported sighting of Jade Colvin in Harvey, Illinois, on Aug. 12, 2021. The sighting, documented in a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children lead report, has become a central part of the defense's investigation into potentially exculpatory evidence, a request Bachmurski made when he waived his right to a speedy trial in November 2024. It is unclear whether the defense has used the Clearview AI facial recognition software to analyze evidence such as the alleged surveillance footage connected to the reported sighting of Jade Colvin. Next StepsBoth motions will be considered by the court ahead of the trial, which is set to begin next Monday The rulings will determine what evidence both sides can present to the jury as they argue the case against Bachmurski. Feed your curiosity! Subscribe to the free newsletter and indulge in all that's local. Your friends will be impressed.