A former Johnson County Emergency Management coordinator and Iowa City fire official died last week while serving a 50-year prison term for fatally shooting his girlfriend in 2011.
Thomas Lee Hansen Sr., has been serving a 50-year prison sentence for fatally shooting his girlfriend in 2011.
Thomas Lee Hansen Sr., 84, of Riverside, was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. on Jan. 22, at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center, according to the Iowa Department of Corrections.
Hansen was convicted in 2012 in Washington County District Court for second-degree murder of Sharon Gerot, according to court documents.
Hansen was ordered to serve at least 35 years of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
According to trial testimony, Hansen fired a .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun at Gerot, who was mowing the lawn May 1, 2011, after they had been arguing. He had been living in a Riverside home with her for 10 years.
Hansen testified the single bullet that struck Gerot, 54, in the head was only meant to scare her. He said Gerot had been abusing him for years, and that she had previously threatened him and waved a gun at him, but the shooting itself was an accident, according to testimony.
The two had been planning to work at Yellowstone National Park later in May 2011.
Hansen’s lawyer asked jurors to convict Hansen on a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Hansen retired from the Iowa City Fire Department in 1996 and the Johnson County Emergency Management agency in 2001, according to his obituary.
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Thomas Lee Hansen Sr., 84, of Riverside, was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. on Jan. 22, at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center, according to the Iowa Department of Corrections.
Hansen was convicted in 2012 in Washington County District Court for second-degree murder of Sharon Gerot, according to court documents.
Hansen was ordered to serve at least 35 years of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
According to trial testimony, Hansen fired a .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun at Gerot, who was mowing the lawn May 1, 2011, after they had been arguing. He had been living in a Riverside home with her for 10 years.
Hansen testified the single bullet that struck Gerot, 54, in the head was only meant to scare her. He said Gerot had been abusing him for years, and that she had previously threatened him and waved a gun at him, but the shooting itself was an accident, according to testimony.
The two had been planning to work at Yellowstone National Park later in May 2011.
Hansen’s lawyer asked jurors to convict Hansen on a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Hansen retired from the Iowa City Fire Department in 1996 and the Johnson County Emergency Management agency in 2001, according to his obituary.
Former Johnson County emergency management official dies while serving prison term
A former Johnson County emergency management and fire official who was serving a prison sentence for fatally shooting his girlfriend in 2011, died last week. Thomas Lee Hansen Sr., 84, died Jan. 22.
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