According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety release, doctors at the Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny conducted the autopsies on May 14. Based on the autopsies, medical officials determined both victims died of gunshot wounds through the course of an alleged homicide, the release said.

According to the release, the suspect of the shooting is Isaiah Sweet, and he is being held custody at the Buchanan County Jail on $1,000,000 bond.

Councilors passed an ordinance Tuesday night requiring the city to vacate .27-acres of Melrose Place. An ordinance requires three readings. The second reading was waived and councilors approved the ordinance on a 4-2 vote, with Councilors Rick Dobyns and Jim Throgmorton voting no. Councilor Terry Dickens was absent.

The City Council also hold a public hearing Tuesday night regarding the conveyance of the right-of-way. Councilors approved the conveyance on a 4-2 vote. The conveyance is expected to have no cost.

The state Board of Regents voted earlier this month 711 Melrose Ave. and 15 Melrose Place. The parking lot will be built where these houses now stand.

According to an Iowa Department of Public Safety press release, Sweet was expected to make his initial appearance at 1 p.m. today in the courthouse.

Manchester police responded to a call from 109 Deann Drive in Manchester Sunday afternoon where Janet Mae and Richard Lee Sweet were found dead upon arrival. The cause of death has not been released. The release confirmed Isaiah Sweet is the grandson of Richard and Janet Sweet.

Investigators are not seeking any additional suspects for the murder of Richard and Janet Sweet.

After a two day search Isaiah Sweet was found Monday night in the Cedar Rapids area by a Cedar Rapids Police officer, the release said.

Isaiah Sweet faces two counts of first degree murder and remains in custody at the Buchanan County Jail.

According to an Iowa City Police press release, on Sunday at 6:35 p.m., the Iowa City Fire Department responded to 825 Hudson Ave. with Quint 2, Engine 1, Truck 1, and the Battalion Chief. The first officials reportedly found a garage on fire in the back of the property.

Fire department officials extinguished the fire quickly and the fire was contained to the rear wall of the garage, the release said. Ten on-duty firefighters responded, the Johnson County Ambulance stood watch, and the Iowa City Police Department directed traffic. According to the release, there were no injuries and the damage totalled approximately $3,000.

According to the release, crews were on scene for approximately three hours and the Iowa City Fire Department and the Iowa City Police Department are investigating the cause of the fire.

We just want to remind everyone The Daily Iowan will be on a publishing break until June 4 to allow our staffers to get some much needed rest and for the changing of the guard.

During that time, however, be sure to continue to check dailyiowan.com, as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages, for news updates.

Thanks for a great year and we’re looking forward to the next one.

Email daily-iowan@uiowa.edu if you have any questions.

— Daily Iowan leadership

Freeman-Murdah was charged Feb. 1 with failing to report allegations of sexual abuse after the mother of a 3-year-old child approached a teacher in the Broadway Neighborhood Center’s Headstart program in December 2011 with concerns her daughter had been touched inappropriately by another teacher.

The child’s mother first spoke to Michael Crowley — a teacher in the program — with concerns her 3-year-old daughter had been kissed and touched inappropriately by another teacher in the program. Crowley then relayed the information to Freeman-Murdah, and Freeman-Murdah received more information about the allegations from various other Broadway Center officials over the next few days.

Freeman-Murdah testified Thursday that she did not report the allegations of abuse to the Department of Human Services within 24 hours because she “did not believe the sexual abuse occurred by Colleen Varney,” the teacher who had been accused.

After more than three days of trial, a jury of six concluded Assistant County Attorney Meredith Rich-Chappell did not prove Freeman-Murdah reasonably believed, after meeting with the child’s mother on December 12, that the child had been sexually abused by a teacher in the program.

Sixth District Judge Stephen Gerard instructed the jury it must find Freeman-Murdah not guilty of failing to report abuse as a mandatory reporter unless evidence established guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The jury found Freeman-Murdah did not reasonably believe any abuse had occurred, and therefore she was not legally required to report the allegations to Human Services.

—By Beth Bratsos

Djalali will start his position August 15.

“I am truly honored to have been chosen as the next dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa. I am ready to ‘roll up my sleeves’ and look forward to working closely with students, staff, faculty, and administrators to further the research, educational, and service missions of the college and the university,” Djalali said, according to the UI release.

Djalali will replace Dean Linda Maxson, who will rejoin the UI biology faculty after stepping down, the release said.

“In addition to being the university’s largest college, responsible for most of the undergraduate education and a vast research mission, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is near and dear to my heart,” Maxson said in the release. “I wish Dr. Djalali the greatest success as he leads the college forward in the coming years.”

According to the release, Djalali earned his bachelors and masters degree from the University of Paris XI and doctorate from Institut de Physique Nucleaire in Paris.

UI Executive Vice President and Provost P. Barry Butler said Djalali has a clear vision for the college.

“Professor Djalali is a highly accomplished researcher, teacher, and administrator with an impressive record in all three arenas,” said UI Executive Vice President and Provost P. Barry Butler in the release, who made the appointment, subject to approval by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. “He has strong academic values and a clear vision for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He also brings to the position a valuable international perspective, a strong commitment to shared governance, and a dedication to building on the college’s interdisciplinary strengths. I’m confident he will be an excellent leader and champion for the college.”

More updates will be available.

UI officials appealed to the agency they would be unable to obtain insurance for any collections that would be housed in the building if it was renovated, which was damaged during the 2008 floods.

FEMA officials stated the building could be replaced if it was impossible to repair the current building to perform to its original capacity.  The release said the UI’s insurance situation is a “business decision by private  insurance companies”.

FEMA denied the UI’s first appeal in January 2011.

“I am disappointed in this decision by FEMA” said Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division Administrator Mark Schouten in the release. ” We will work with the UI to evaluate our options.”

Freeman-Murdah was charged Feb. 1 with failing to fulfill her duties as a mandatory reporter when she didn’t report a suspected child abuse incident in December 2011.

So far today the jury of seven has heard testimony from Allison Dietsch, the administrative assistant at the Broadway Neighborhood Center, and Amy Howell, a child protection worker at the Department of Human Services. Both witnesses are mandatory reporters.

Freeman-Murdah’s attorney Leon Spies said the law states mandatory reporters are required to report to Human Services if they have reasonable belief the abuse occurred.

A mother of a child in the Headstart Program, which Freeman-Murdah oversees, testified on Tuesday she approached a teacher with concerns her child had been sexually abused by another teacher in the program.

The mother eventually contacted Iowa City police multiple days later and the incident was then reported to Human Services.

The law requires Freeman-Murdah to report any suspected child abuse she reasonably believes could have occurred within 24 hours.

— By Beth Bratsos