Trial moved for Iowa man charged in mother’s fatal beating

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — The first-degree murder trial of a Cedar Rapids man charged in the fatal beating of his mother last year has been postponed until next year. The Gazette reports that trial for 51-year-old George Deason had been set for November, but lawyers on both sides asked for more time to prepare. Police have said Deason attacked 71-year-old Elsie Mae Deason in her home on June 30, 2020, and believe the attack was carried out in an effort to steal $50 from her. Deason’s mother was found the next day with critical injuries, and she died about three weeks later. Police say she had been severely beaten, likely with a battering weapon called a slapjack that police confiscated from Deason.