Three Dead, One Critically Injured in Marion; SUSPECT FACES MULTIPLE MURDER CHARGES
RURAL MARION, Iowa- The Linn County Sheriff’s Office has charged a Marion man with three charges of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder following the discovery of three bodies inside an outbuilding in rural Marion on Wednesday afternoon.
Luke Truesdell, 34, was arrested and charged with one attempted murder and three counts of first-degree murder. Authorities discovered four victims at a residence on East Otter Road. Three were confirmed dead on the scene, while a fourth was evacuated to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
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Romondus Lamar Cooper, 44, Amanda Sue Parker, 33, and Keonna Victoria Ryan, 26, were the victims that perished. Brent Anthony Brown, 34, is in critical condition.
According to investigators, the individuals sustained blunt force damage to the head. Truesdell was there at the residence when Linn County Sheriff’s deputies arrived, according to court records. He told detectives that he beat the victims with a metal pipe.
“The suspect admitted to the murders.” Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner confirmed that he used a thick metal pipe to strike each of the victims in and around the head and face. “The injuries that we found were consistent with him utilizing a pipe to provide those injuries to the victims.”
Given what Truesdell told them about the pipe and the evidence on it, detectives believe it was the murder weapon, but they are still awaiting autopsy findings for the three deceased victims.
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“That will give us a definitive cause of death, although, it appeared to be blunt force trauma, as a result of this pipe that was pointed out to us from the suspect,” Gardner stated. “Obviously it took a fair amount of strength to be able to cause injuries like that that did result in death.”
Initial autopsy results may be available within a few days, but toxicology reports can take several weeks.
Gardner described the crime scene as exceptionally brutal and gory due to the violent nature of the act, which involved a metal pipe. “It was a very gruesome crime scene, even those deputies who have been around for a while and have seen deaths before,” Gardner stated. “You always pause when you go to something like this. It was an extremely horrible scene.”
According to detectives, Truesdell provided them with various plausible motives for the triple homicide, including the possibility of making a film about the killings.
“He did not record the assaults,” Sheriff Gardner explained. “He simply mentioned it to the deputies as they were discussing possible causes or motivations for the assaults. He said that he felt it would be a good movie.
Truesdell made his first appearance in court on Thursday morning. He is scheduled to return to court on June 14 for a preliminary hearing. Truesdell’s bond amount has been set at $4 million.
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the event, but they do not expect to make any further arrests.