South Carolina man gets 50 years for killing mother in Iowa

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has sentenced a South Carolina man to 50 years in prison for the 2020 stabbing death of his mother in Sioux City, Iowa. District Judge Jeffrey Neary on Friday sentenced 32-year-old Paul Belk, of Beaufort, South Carolina, after finding him guilty on Oct. 1 of second-degree murder and possession of marijuana. The Sioux City Journal reports Belk must serve as least 35 years before he’s eligible for parole. Belk stabbed his mother, Lisa Belk, 16 times with two knives and a pair of scissors while they were an apartment on April 14, 2020. He had arrived in Sioux City the day before. Belk’s lawyers argued he was insane at the time of the assault. A prosecution psychologist said Belk was able to distinguish right from wrong.