DES MOINES — Jason Carter’s attorneys have asked a federal court to award him damages after being found not guilty of murdering his mother, Shirley Carter.
Shirley Carter was killed in June 2015, with her husband Bill Carter eventually suing the couple’s son, Jason Carter, and winning a $10 million judgment in December 2017.
Jason Carter was charged with murder soon after, but a Pottawattamie County jury found him not guilty.
“I never got to tell my mom that I loved her,” Jason Carter told Local 5 following his acquittal. “I’d really like to tell her that I loved her.”
In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday, Carter’s attorneys accuse investigators of withholding evidence and “failing to reasonably and appropriately” follow leads in the case.
Among the allegations, Carter’s team says Agent Mark Ludwick of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation of intentionally misreporting findings and Deputy Reed Kious of having inadequate training for the job.
“The untrue statements by Ludwick were the cause of a rift and separation which developed between Jason Carter and his community, and between Jason Carter’s immediate family and their community,” the lawsuit reads.
“During Ludwick’s three depositions and trial testimony, Ludwick falsely denied knowledge of many individuals tying John Followill, Joel Followill, Joe Sedlock, Matt Kamerick, and Callie Shinn to the murder, despite more than thirty reports pointing to those suspects,” the lawsuit continues.
Six total counts are field in the lawsuit against the defendants.
A Marion County judge affirmed the $10 million civil judgment against Carter in June.
A second petition to vacate the judgment in district court is still pending.
READ: Jason Carter files federal lawsuit against his father and Marion County investigators