A Twin Falls woman has been acquitted by a Twin Falls County jury of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Jordana Bryan, 62, had been accused of the felony crime for allegedly severely beating a dementia patient in her care in January with a metal pipe.
Twin Falls County court records identify the alleged victim as Gary D. Stivers, 62, a former Blaine County resident.
The Times-News reported Thursday that the jury deliberated for three hours on Wednesday before delivering a not-guilty verdict. The trial started on Tuesday.
Bryan was represented by Hailey attorney Keith Roark. The Times-News reported that Roark argued that his client was not at the Iris House, an assisted-living home operated by Bryan, when Stivers was allegedly injured on Jan. 22. Roark further argued that Stivers was injured in an accident the day before.
The Times-News also reported that Kelly Bryan, a former employee at Iris House, testified that she saw Jordana Bryan strike Stivers several times with the pipe, causing a gash on his head.
Stivers, who worked in the Wood River Valley as a broadcast and Internet journalist and served as emcee at numerous events, became ill in 2013, reports indicate. According to Idaho court records, a Third Judicial District judge awarded guardian and conservator status for Stivers to a Canyon County woman his—ex-wife—in May. The ruling allows the woman to manage the financial affairs and daily life of Stivers, who the court determined is incapacitated.
An ongoing campaign on Facebook is seeking to raise funds to support care for Stivers.
