IMAGE COURTESY GRUNDY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Following a lengthy investigation, the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office recently announced that an arrest had been made in connection with the December 2021 death of Reinbeck resident Christian Marie Jeys.

Kevin Lee Halladey, 41, formerly of Reinbeck, was arrested at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison on Dec. 8 on a warrant for first degree murder – a Class A felony – by the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office and was transported back to Grundy County where he made an initial appearance.

According to the criminal complaint, just after midnight on Dec. 16, 2021, Grundy County deputies were dispatched to Jeys’ Chestnut Street residence in Reinbeck on a report that a 13-year-old male had stabbed Halladey, Jeys’ boyfriend.

Also on Dec. 16, 2021, just after midnight – according to a separate criminal complaint – deputies found a different juvenile at Jeys’ residence who alleged Halladey came into their bedroom and woke them up some time after midnight. Halladey was later charged with assault causing bodily injury for allegedly throwing the juvenile by the arm against a wall and causing injury to their shoulder.

At the time of the Dec. 16 incidents, Halladey was not immediately taken into custody but was treated at Grundy County Memorial Hospital (GCMH) and released early that same morning to the care of Jeys.

Just after 5 a.m. on Dec. 16, a neighbor of Jeys was awakened by Halladey pounding on the door and stating Jeys was unresponsive. The neighbor alerted authorities.

When officers arrived within minutes at Jeys’ residence, she was found unresponsive, lying on the floor and soaking wet. Jeys was transported to GCMH where hospital staff observed a fresh injury around Jeys’ left eye that had not been there earlier.

Jeys was later taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where she died of her injuries on Dec. 23, 2021.

On Sept. 2, 2022, the Johnson County Medical Examiner released the Autopsy Report regarding Jeys’ death. The Report noted her manner of death as homicide – the cause of death as complications of blunt force injuries of the head.

Halladey pleaded guilty to the Dec. 16, 2021 assault charge in April of this year and was sentenced to 245 days suspended, 120 days imposed in the Grundy County Jail.

The December 2021 incident was not the first time charges had been filed against Halladey in connection to Jeys and her family.

In May of 2021, Halladey was charged with domestic abuse assault when deputies were called to the same Chestnut Street residence where they found Jeys with a blood bruise on her lip and marks on her head and neck.

A no-contact order was immediately placed against Halladey on behalf of Jeys. Roughly a month later, however, she petitioned the court to remove the order, arguing Halladey was no longer a threat and that they were looking to mend their relationship.

In response, a District Court judge modified the order to allow for electronic communication and for joint counseling to be conducted with a licensed mental health professional. According to court records, Jeys and Halladey attended counseling over the next several weeks.

On Aug. 30, 2021, the court canceled the no-contact order based on the petition from Jeys and a recommendation from the licensed counselor the couple met with throughout the month.

In June of this year, Halladey entered a written Alford plea of guilty to the May 2021 domestic abuse assault charge and was sentenced to 30 days in the Grundy County Jail.

Halladey currently remains in the Grundy County Jail on the first degree murder charge. His bond has been set at $1 million.

A preliminary hearing is set for December 16 at 1:30 p.m. Halladey is being represented by the Waterloo Public Defender’s Office.