State v. Howard

' VOGEL, J.

Kevin Howard appeals his conviction and sentence, following a jury trial, for first-degree robbery. As we find the court erred in finding that Howard’s mere ab sence from the state tolled the statute of limitations, we conclude the State was barred from prosecuting the charged offense. We therefore reverse Howard’s conviction and remand for dismissal of the charge.

Background facts. On March 29, 1993, the Helzberg’s jewelry store in Davenport, Iowa, reported that it had been robbed of $30,000 to $40,000 worth of jewelry by a well-dressed, six-foot-tall black man with short hair. The…