Noor Malhotra
On November 10, 2018, in Earlville, Iowa, Amy Mullis was found dead on her farm, with a corn rake impaled in her back. Unfortunately, the one who found her was her 13-year-old son, Trysten Mullis. The episodes titled ‘The Corn Rake Murder’ and ‘The Corn Rake Witness’ of CBS ’48 Hours’ chronicle the intricacies of the case, from the ensuing investigation to the conviction of her husband, Todd Mullis, in 2019. However, the latter episode features a now-grown-up Trysten Mullis, insisting on his father’s innocence, alongside an all-new legal team.
Trysten Mullis Was the One Who Found His Mother Dead on Their Farm
Trysten is one of the three Mullis children, born to Amy and her husband, Todd, from Earlville, Iowa. Trysten was quite active in school. He was part of the football team and was also selected for the honor choir. Sadly, the then 13-year-old’s life soon turned upside down. On November 10, 2018, he discovered his mother in a shed on the family’s farm. A corn rake was sticking out of her, and she had no pulse. Trysten had stated that earlier that morning, Amy, Todd, and he were working on the farm when he noticed his mother acting strangely. Trysten explained, “She said she was getting dizzy. When she got on a bucket, she had to hold herself from falling off. And she got down, and her legs — she was kinda shaky.”
At this point, Todd asked his wife to go back into the house to rest, since she had undergone a medical procedure a few days earlier. He also asked her to pick up a pet carrier from the nearby shed since he needed to use it later. She obliged, and the father and son resumed their work. But then Todd went to pick up the carrier, only to find it was not where Amy was supposed to leave it. So, he sent Trysten to check the shed, and this is when the son discovered his mother lying face down on the floor. He checked her pulse and her arm since she was unresponsive, and said, “I — just kinda freaked out … My anxiety level was zero to 100 in about a split second.” Then, he called his father to the shed.
Todd put his wife in the truck, and along with his son, headed to a hospital. Amy was lying across her son’s lap. The husband also called 911 on the way and was then told to wait on the side of the road. Although an ambulance came and took Amy to the hospital, she was pronounced dead on arrival. Eventually, Todd was the one who was indicted for the crime. Trysten also testified at his father’s trial via teleconference. Reportedly, he was calm during his testimony but did affirm that the experience was quite traumatic. In a pre-trial deposition, Trysten estimated that Todd was out of sight for about 1 minute and 40 seconds that morning; however, during his testimony, he clarified that he couldn’t definitively determine how long Todd was absent. Todd was ultimately found guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Trysten Mullis is Fighting to Get His Father’s Conviction Overturned Today
On ‘Corn Rake Witness,’ nearly eight years after his mother’s unfortunate demise and seven years after his father was convicted of the same, Trysten opened up about his thoughts on the tragedy that changed the course of his life. Offering a different figure of the time his father was out of sight on that fateful day, he said, “I said I don’t know how much time. I wasn’t saying it could have been 20 minutes or whatever.” When asked whether he believes his father to be innocent, Trysten exclaimed, “I know for a fact he didn’t do it. Because I was there. Nobody else was there but me.” The now-21-year-old deeply believes his father is innocent and is focused on his desire to clear his father’s name, even as Todd continues to serve a life sentence.
The entire ordeal has had a lasting impact on his life, shaping his outlook and personality. However, despite the hardships he endured at such a young age, Trysten has shown remarkable resilience in moving forward. While he has largely kept away from the public eye, and understandably so, we do know that his passion for football remained a defining part of his life throughout his high school years. As a member of the Ankeny High School Men’s Varsity Football team, he demonstrated his dedication to the sport as a senior offensive lineman, proudly donning jersey No. 52 on his back. In November 2023, Trysten’s efforts were recognized when he received an All-District Honorable Mention. He also earned a spot on the Ankeny 2024 football roster and further showcased his abilities and commitment as an athlete.
On the personal front, the young man continues to maintain a close connection with his family members, especially his aunt Whitney Gamm, Amy’s sister. On his 18th birthday, Whitney penned a heartfelt tribute to her nephew, sharing old photos and videos of him alongside a caption that read: Look whose 18 today!!!!! 🙌🙌Happy birthday Trysten Mullis!! ❤️❤️ We are so damn proud of you and the young man you’ve become! Here’s to the next chapter, young adulthood. Make all the beautiful memories and get yourself in all the trouble…. 🙃 … (aunts are required to encourage fun, but bad choices, right?) 😂Love you so much buddy!” Thus, from what we can tell, Trysten has a bright future ahead of him and is surrounded by the love and support of his loved ones to guide him along the way.
Read More: Where is Todd Mullis Now?
You must be logged in to post a comment.