Shane Teslik's manslaughter trial continues: Testimony reveals escalating tensions

Testimony continues Thursday in Shane Teslik's voluntary manslaughter trial.

Teslik is accused of stabbing Devonna Walker to death during an argument at Cambridge Townhomes in Cedar Rapids in January 2023.

In the courtroom Thursday, testimony says Devonna Walker, Shane Teslik and his on-again-off-again girlfriend Jessie Chavez had been involved in a number of altercations in the days leading up to the night Walker died.

Many of the altercations had to do with Teslik and Chavez’s dog getting out off its leash.

In each case, there were a lot of vulgar words used in those arguments by all parties.

The jury saw the full video of the night walker was killed after Teslik used the "n-word," knocking over Chavez before Teslik stabbed her, Walker died a short time later.

Chavez was visibly emotional watching the video from that night.

In other videos shown to the jury of the other arguments the month before, Teslik is heard using the n-word another time.

Because of the repeated incidents, that seemed to escalate each time, Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks asked Chavez why she continues to escalate the situation.

Maybanks asked, “Why didn’t you just walk away?

Chavez said on the stand, “Because, I didn’t feel that I needed to run into my home at that moment, some bully wasn’t going to run me into my house and I have a big mouth, I admitted that. And I don’t like to back down and I think that was a problem of me and Devonna both.”

In cross, the defense asked Chavez about the fear she felt from the continued arguments with Walker.

Besides manslaughter, Teslik also faces one count of violation of individual rights, the closest that Iowa has to a hate crime charge.

The trial is in recess until 1:30p on Thursday.