ANAMOSA — An Iowa inmate serving a 50-year prison sentence for shooting and killing his roommate in Sioux City died at 11:36 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, 2026, inside the Anamosa State Penitentiary.
Robert Daniel Buel, 57, was convicted of second-degree murder and going armed with intent in connection with the August 22, 2021, killing of 41-year-old Jason Lafferty.
The Iowa Department of Corrections announced Buel’s death but did not disclose a cause or describe the circumstances surrounding it. The department did not indicate whether the death resulted from an illness, suicide, violence or another cause.
Buel began serving his sentence on October 28, 2022, for crimes committed in Woodbury County. He had spent less than four years in state custody when he died.
Court records show that Buel and Lafferty shared a residence in the 200 block of 21st Street in Sioux City. Lafferty and his wife had reportedly been living in Buel’s home for approximately three years.
At approximately 9:30 a.m. on August 22, 2021, Buel called 911 and reported that he had killed his housemate.
Responding officers found Lafferty’s body on the floor of a corridor near the home’s garage. A shotgun was discovered near his body, while officers located a handgun on a staircase leading into the house. Investigators also recovered three spent handgun casings.
Buel admitted shooting Lafferty but claimed he acted in self-defense.
According to the case record, Buel told investigators that tensions inside the home had been escalating. He claimed Lafferty had damaged the residence, behaved violently and made threats against him.
Buel also admitted that those at the residence had consumed beer and used methamphetamine the night before the fatal shooting.
Buel told police that Lafferty entered his bedroom several times during the night, struck him in the head and threatened him with a machete and a firearm. Those claims became part of Buel’s justification defense at trial.
The following morning, Buel heard pounding and grinding noises coming from the garage. He armed himself with both a loaded shotgun and a concealed .45-caliber handgun before confronting Lafferty.
Buel initially pointed the shotgun at Lafferty but then placed it on the floor. During the continued confrontation, Lafferty reportedly picked up the shotgun and ejected its shells.
Buel said Lafferty attempted to take control of the shotgun and pointed it toward him. Buel then drew the handgun from his vest and fired three shots, striking Lafferty in the head and chest.
Prosecutors argued that Buel created the deadly confrontation by arming himself with two guns and carrying them into the garage.
During the trial, the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office emphasized that Lafferty had removed the shells from the shotgun before Buel opened fire with the handgun.
A Woodbury County jury rejected Buel’s self-defense claim and found him guilty of second-degree murder and going armed with intent on August 19, 2022.
Buel was sentenced on October 28, 2022, to no more than 50 years in prison for murder and five years for going armed with intent. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, meaning the shorter sentence was served at the same time as the murder term.
State records listed Buel’s tentative discharge date in 2064.
Buel appealed his going-armed-with-intent conviction but did not challenge his second-degree murder conviction in that proceeding. He argued that prosecutors had not proven he carried the guns with the specific intent to shoot Lafferty without justification.
The Iowa Court of Appeals rejected that argument in September 2023.
The appellate court cited Buel’s decision to carry two recently purchased firearms into the garage, along with statements he made during a recorded jail conversation with his sister.
During that conversation, Buel said Lafferty was entitled to nothing “except a bullet.” He also acknowledged placing himself in the deadly situation by taking two guns downstairs and shooting Lafferty.
The appeals court concluded that jurors had sufficient evidence to determine Buel intended to use the guns against Lafferty and that the shooting was not legally justified. His conviction was affirmed.
Buel remained incarcerated at the Anamosa State Penitentiary until his death. The prison is a maximum-security institution for men operated by the Iowa Department of Corrections in Jones County.
No additional information about Buel’s death has been released. State officials have not announced whether an autopsy was ordered or whether the death remains under investigation.