Iowa man convicted in murder of woman who had protective order against him

An Iowa man accused of killing an Eldora woman despite a protective order prohibiting him from having contact with her has been convicted of first-degree murder in her death.

A Hardin County jury found Nathan Bahr, 30, guilty July 11 of first-degree murder. Bahr faces a mandatory term of life in prison without parole when he is sentenced Sept. 6.

According to court filings, Bahr shot and killed Desiree Folsom, 25, in her Eldora home on May 26, 2023. That was one day after the filing of the protective order against him, based on her allegations he had abused her.

Bahr left Iowa and was captured three days later in Arizona. He was extradited to Iowa to face charges.

Despite Folsom's abuse allegation, there had been no previous arrest of Bahr and he was not in police custody the day of the killing.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of all female homicide victims are killed by a current or former romantic partner. In addition, the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics found that more than half of domestic violence-related homicides involve firearms, despite federal law prohibiting those convicted of domestic abuse or with protective orders against them from possessing guns.

Resources for victims of domestic violence

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, reach out to:

• The Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which serves all 99 counties in Iowa. To locate a program near you, visit icadv.org.
• The Iowa Victims Service Call Center. It provides free, confidential resources for anyone experiencing domestic violence. Advocates are available around the clock at 1-800-770-1650, or text IOWAHELP to 20121. To learn more, visit the center's website at survivorshelp.org.
• The Safe at Home program run by the Iowa Secretary of State's Office, which provides substitute addresses, mail-forwarding services and confidential voter registration for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, stalking or related crimes. To learn more, visit safeathome.iowa.gov.
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Or text START to 88788. Learn more at thehotline.org.
• The Love is Respect Teen Dating Violence Hotline at 1-866-9474. It also can be reached by texting LOVEIS to 22522. Learn more at loveisrespect.org.
• In the Des Moines metro, Children & Families of Iowa through its local crisis hotline at 515-243-6147.

Ryan Magalhães is a reporter for the Register. Reach them at rmagalhaes@dmreg.com.