An Iowa teenager has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing a youth group home employee who was trying to stop him from running into traffic.
Jovahn Mathis, 18, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the May 2024 death of 50-year-old Kathleen Galloway-Menke, according to the Polk County Attorney’s Office.
Mathis was 15 and living at Ellipsis, a youth group home in Johnston, when he left the facility and entered a nearby residential neighborhood.
Galloway-Menke followed him and reportedly stopped the teenager as he attempted to run into a busy street.
Moments later, Mathis “violently shoved” the woman, causing her to fall backward and slam her head against the ground.
“The impact resulted in a fatal blunt head injury,” a report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration stated.
Galloway-Menke suffered an acute subdural hematoma and a subarachnoid hemorrhage, both forms of bleeding around the brain. She later died from her injuries.
Mathis was initially charged with second-degree murder but accepted a plea agreement in May 2025 that reduced the charge to voluntary manslaughter.
During his sentencing Friday, Mathis delivered a lengthy apology to Galloway-Menke’s family and claimed he had worked to control his anger and impulsive behavior.
“I am sure people have doubts,” Mathis told the court. “I am not the kid I used to be. The emotions don’t control me anymore.”
He then addressed Galloway-Menke directly.
“Kathleen, I don’t know if you can hear me,” Mathis said. “I want you to know that I am truly sorry. I didn’t mean for you to be hurt.”
Galloway-Menke’s mother, father, two daughters, two brothers and sister-in-law delivered emotional victim impact statements and asked the judge to hold Mathis accountable.
“It breaks my heart that someone my sister was trying to help took her life,” her brother, Paul Galloway, told the court.
The judge rejected a request for probation and ordered Mathis to serve 20 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole.
Mathis was prosecuted in adult court as a youthful offender. Before sentencing, he was held at the Iowa Boys State Training School in Eldora and was ordered to remain there until his 18th birthday on Saturday, Aug. 1.
The judge also ordered him to pay $150,000 in restitution to Galloway-Menke’s estate.
“We have gotten justice,” Galloway-Menke’s daughter, Chloe Williamson, told local CBS affiliate KCCI after the sentencing. “We are very happy with the decision the judge has made. This is just one step, though.”
The family’s legal fight is far from over.
Galloway-Menke’s daughters, Williamson and Camille Menke, filed a lawsuit against Ellipsis in June 2026. They allege the group home knew Mathis had displayed “extremely violent” behavior toward Galloway-Menke and other female employees but failed to take sufficient action.
The lawsuit claims staff members repeatedly warned Ellipsis that Mathis was dangerous and that the facility was not an appropriate placement for him.
“Everyone in my building and my cottage knew,” Williamson previously told The Des Moines Register. “We tried telling Ellipsis this was a problem and the child’s placement wasn’t the right fit, but we didn’t have the support.”
The family alleges Ellipsis failed to remove Mathis and other dangerous residents, transfer them to a more secure facility or implement adequate safeguards to protect workers.
Their lawsuit also blames “inadequate security, chronic understaffing, malfunctioning or unavailable communication devices” and other alleged failures for allowing Mathis to leave the campus.
Ellipsis CEO Kelly Hannan said the organization could not discuss the lawsuit but expressed sympathy for Galloway-Menke’s loved ones.
“Our hearts remain with Kathleen’s family and all those affected by this loss,” Hannan said. “While we cannot comment on the pending litigation, we can state that we are committed to seeking a fair and just outcome in this matter while keeping our focus on the vulnerable youth and families we serve.”
For Galloway-Menke’s family, the 20-year sentence represents accountability for a woman who died while trying to protect a teenager in her care.
“I am not the kid I used to be. The emotions don’t control me anymore.”
Oh please! This POS would say anything to get out of paying the price for his out-of-control actions. Unfortunately the prosecutor and judge bought it. I’m sick of these dirtbags and their lack of control. You see stories like this every day.
She needed to let him be run over, its called survival of the fittest. Instead she is gone and qe now have to pay for this loser for 20 more years
Hey bleeding heart white women….
the bruthas don’t really like you….