The Iowa Court of Appeals has also upheld the conviction of a Waterloo man that caused the death of his girlfriend in 2022. Lamarcus Williams argued that his conviction of voluntary manslaughter should be reduced to involuntary manslaughter because Rebecca Taylor’s underlying health conditions and substance use led to her death. The court upheld the charge citing case law that says, “the law imposes no duty on a victim to be in sufficiently good health to withstand a beating”. In November of 2022, Taylor called 911 and said her boyfriend was threatening her with a knife. Then the line went dead. When dispatchers called back, Williams answered and said it was a false alarm. When police arrived on scene Williams had moved a couch in front of the door. Officers forced their way in and found Taylor unconscious. She would die in the hospital days later.
