A Waterloo man convicted of murdering a Mason City man in 2012 has had his most recent appeal rejected and a ruling that returned his bail money to him has also been overturned, according to the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. 33 year old James Farnsworth II was convicted of stabbing 23 year old Ian Decker to death in 2012. He was sentenced to a minimum of 35 years in prison. Farnsworth challenged his criminal conviction and the forfeiture of bond money that went to pay victim restitution, arguing his lawyer misrepresented him and failed in his duties by not arguing for the return of the bail money. His lawyer took his own life in 2014 amid allegations that he stole from his clients and his law firm. A lower court ruled with Farnsworth that the bond money should be returned to him, however the Iowa Court of Appeals reversed that saying that is something that should be determined in civil court not in post-conviction relief.
