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Woman who murdered WB man won’t be released
News · December 07, 2005
The woman convicted of the 1979 murder of West Brancher Ady Jensen will not be released, after Governor Vilsack declined to commute her sentence last week.
Judy White, 58, is serving a life sentence for the crime and remains imprisoned in Mitchellville. Both she and Robert Kern, who is also serving a life sentence, were convicted of first-degree murder about 25 years ago. Kern was denied commutation of his life sentence in 2001 and again in 2002.
Ady Jensen, 39, was murdered in his parents’ home just north of West Branch. His parents, Ferd and Olga Jensen, both deceased, were witnesses to the crime.
The trial revealed that four people conspired to kill Jensen and divide a $50,000 life insurance policy taken out by Jensen’s wife, Jeanne, before the murder.
Jeanne Jensen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a forcible felony in exchange for providing evidence. She served less than five years of a 10-year sentence.
Andrew Ogelvie, an Illinois man who was accused of actually shooting Jensen, was acquitted in a separate trial that was moved to Scott County.
The Iowa Board of Parole voted 4-1 on May 17 in favor of White’s commutation. Only a unanimous vote is considered a favorable recommendation, however.
Vilsack said in a letter to the Board of Parole last week that White has made strides toward rehabilitation but that he was denying commutation due to the seriousness of the crime and the planning that was involved.
At least two state legislators called Governor Vilsack to recommend that White’s sentence not be commuted. State Senator Vid Johnson, of Ocheyedan, a family friend of the Jensens and a former West Branch Times editor, said he was pleased with Vilsack’s decision. State Representative Jeff Kaufmann said he called the governor to thank him for denying White her release.
“I really just think that she needs to serve her sentence out,” Johnson told the Times.
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