Woman convicted of nursing home death loses appeal (The Des


A woman convicted of murder in the choking death of a nursing home resident has lost another appeal. Christie Van Oort, 29, of Rock Valley, is serving a 50-year prison sentence for second-degree murder. Van Oort’s initial appeal was denied by the Iowa Supreme Court in November 2004. She filed a petition on March 18, seeking postconviction relief, claiming her attorneys gave her ineffective