A western Iowa man is pleading guilty to shooting a woman to death in a small Shelby County town this summer.
Shelby County Deputies conducting a welfare check on July 31 found 32-year-old Theresa Kenkel of Earling had been shot to death in her home. Online court records indicate 33-year-old Winston “Joe” Leal of Harlan was accused of fighting with Kenkel when he shot her. He’s pleading guilty to first degree murder, which carries a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
A 35-year-old woman from Harlan accused of helping Leal after the shooting pleaded guilty earlier this month to being an accessory after the fact. That charge carries a maximum five year prison sentence.
