Douglas pleads guilty to attempted murder

Almost 15 months after a New Virginia man was shot at his home and subsequently paralyzed over an alleged drug dispute, his shooter has been sentenced to up to 25 years in prison following a guilty plea.

In the case of the State of Iowa v. George W. Douglas, the 32-year-old Clarke County man pleaded guilty to the charges of attempt to commit murder and dominion/control of a firearm or offensive weapon by a felon. At his sentencing hearing Feb. 12, Douglas received a 25-year sentence on the first charge and five years on the second. The two sentences will run concurrently, giving him a mandatory minimum sentence of 17.5 years and a maximum of 25.

Douglas was arrested Dec. 5, 2024, on the charges of possession of a firearm by a felon, going armed with intent and the attempted murder of Tyler Sutton, aged 35 at the time. Douglas originally filed a plea of not guilty to all charges, but withdrew his previous plea of not guilty for Count III - Dominion/Control of a Firearm or Offensive Weapon by a Felon - and entered a plea of guilty on Oct. 13, 2025, day one of jury trial in Osceola; the jury trial was later moved to Warren County due to a lack of an impartial jury pool in Clarke County. On Jan. 9, Douglas was additionally charged with burglary in the second degree and assault while participating in a felony by Clarke County Attorney Johanna Olson.

A plea agreement was entered in the courts Feb. 5 for the charge of attempt to commit murder, which was accepted by the courts. Attempted murder is a Class B felony in Iowa while possession of a firearm by a felon is a Class D felony. Douglas was granted immunity by the state for any murder charges if Sutton were to die as a result of Douglas’ actions on Dec. 5, 2024, in exchange for his guilty plea.

On Feb. 6, Douglas wrote a motion to the clerk of court for arrest of judgment. In his letter, he wrote that while he said he understood what loss of appeal meant, he didn’t actually understand. Douglas claimed the wording used by his attorney was obtuse and confusing regarding admission of guilt. He did not feel he was guilty of attempted murder, and the judge had told him he had two days to take back his plea and talk to his lawyer, whom he could not get hold of. A motion to strike Douglas’ motion request was filed by the state Feb. 10. The motion stated that per Iowa Code, a defendant represented by counsel cannot file pro se documents, including a motion, in any Iowa court.

As part of Douglas’ plea agreement, the state agreed to dismiss his remaining three counts and to waive previously alleged habitual offender enhancements. A pre-sentence investigation report was ordered to be completed by the judge but was not available at the time of sentencing. As a convicted felon, Douglas will remain ineligible for a permit to carry, or to carry, a dangerous weapon. Victim pecuniary damage amounts are to be determined.

Probation was denied. Douglas will be delivered from the Clarke County Jail to the Iowa Medical Classification Center in Oakdale. Bond on appeal will be unavailable per Iowa Code 811.1(1). A no-contact order was granted to Sutton against Douglas to remain in effect until Feb. 12, 2031.

In addition to his charges, the Department of Corrections will calculate total incarceration for two Warren County probation violation cases in relation to the Dec. 5, 2024, incident. Those sentences will be consecutive.