Marion man accused of bludgeoning four people with metal pipe wants trial moved

CEDAR RAPIDS — A lawyer for a Marion man accused of killing four people with a metal pipe last summer asked a judge Friday to move his trial out of Linn County because the pretrial publicity prevents him from having a fair and impartial jury.

Adrian Haughton, lawyer for Luke Wade Truesdell, 34, charged with four charges of first-degree murder in the June 2024 slayings, said the pretrial publicity included unsubstantiated statements and that 56 news articles from four media outlets were inflammatory and so pervasive to cause prejudice among a jury pool.

Haughton said many of the articles also indicated his client was guilty because the articles cited what investigators said about evidence found at the scene and about statements Truesdell allegedly told police that were contained in a criminal complaint and search warrant.

He also pointed out in one of his exhibits that news media had done “emotional” stories concerning those who were killed. He cited one where a friend of Amanda Sue Parker, 21, of Vinton, said what a good friend she had been to her and how Parker took her in and helped her when she needed it.

Haughton said he also didn’t know how much of some of the information written or reported by the media would even be included at the trial, but that potential jurors have that information.

Haughton also cited articles that contained statements from Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks who said crimes like this one are “rare” in Cedar Rapids and that there has never been a quadruple murder in the county. That means the public is reminded how rare these slayings are every time there’s a hearing or something is released in the case. And the coverage will continue up until the trial, Haughton said.

‘Boiler plate motion’

First Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter, in arguing against a change of venue, said it was “frustrating” to the prosecution that the defense filed a “boiler plate” motion and didn’t provide any real case law or argument, other than citing pretrial publicity.

Slaughter said her office didn’t receive any argument exhibits until about an hour before the hearing, which made it difficult to prepare the prosecution’s argument.

Slaughter said she didn’t believe the news reports had been pervasive or inflammatory, considering there were four victims and they had been killed in a “heinous” way. She said she’s seen more media coverage than 56 articles in other homicides and non-homicides.

The articles were accurate, and the information included came from the complaint and court records, Slaughter said. The articles didn’t state Truesdell was guilty.

At this point, she said, there is no evidence that potential jurors have predetermined Truesdell’s guilt. The jury selection process will allow the defense and prosecution to question jurors and find out if there is actual prejudice.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Liz Dupuich said she would take the matter under advisement and issue a written ruling as soon as possible.

Many family and friends of the four killed were in the Linn County District Court courtroom Friday for the hearing.

Truesdell’s trial is set for April 8 in Linn County District Court. He remains in the Linn County Jail on a $4 million cash-only bail.

What happened

Law enforcement was called at 3:56 p.m. June 5, 2024, to 3699 E. Otter Rd., north of Marion, for a report of people passed out in a detached garage or outbuilding of the property, according to an unsealed search warrant filed last September.

When they entered the building, deputies found four people who had been struck with a blunt force object or other weapon, causing serious injuries to their head and neck, the court document stated.

Amanda Sue Parker, 33, of Vinton, and her boyfriend, Romondus “Roe” Lamar Cooper, 44, of Cedar Rapids, and Keonna Victoria Ryan, 26, of Cedar Rapids, were all dead at the scene.

Brent Anthony Brown, 34, Ryan’s boyfriend, “still showed signs of life,” according to the court document. He was flown by air ambulance to a hospital but died three days later. The property where the killings happened is owned by Lon Brown, the father of Brent Brown.

According to the warrant, authorities found Truesdell sitting outside near the outbuilding.

Linn County Sheriff Detective Sgt. Todd Egli said authorities initially thought the suspect or suspects who attacked the four may already have left the scene in a vehicle.

When Truesdell was identified, he appeared “emotional” and was sitting on the sidewalk outside the house. Egli told him he wasn’t under arrest, that authorities were just trying to figure out what had happened, according to court records.

After a short interview, Truesdell, still emotional, described going into the outbuilding and said he “hit them.”

Egli and the other sergeant tried to clarify what he was saying, and Truesdell admitted to hitting the four people with a pipe and told police where to find it in the outbuilding.

Truesdell said he killed the four because of “various reasons, including drug use, past trauma,” and he ”identified one victim, Cooper, as a person who would distribute meth to him.”

Truesdell said methamphetamine use may have contributed to him “trying to get rid of all 4 of them,” according to the court document. He told a detective he “felt better after this and the pain in his head was no longer there,” the search warrant stated.

Law enforcement verified Truesdell acted alone and that his father, Larry Truesdell, was outside the outbuilding at the time of the murders, according to the court document.

He admitted he had been handed the pipe that was used in the attack by the “first possible victim — Cooper” to help Truesdell, who was working on a vehicle but “lost it” while all four of them were arguing.

Truesdell, according to the affidavit, said most of the attack was a “blur” and one person, Brown, may have tried to defend himself. He attacked Cooper first because he was the “biggest” person, the affidavit stated.

Police found the metal pipe near the west entry door to the building. It appeared to have blood, hair and other “bodily evidence” on it, according to the warrant.

After being arrested, Truesdell continued to talk to Egli, who was wearing a body camera with audio, on the drive to the sheriff’s office. He made “many” statements but mentioned a lawyer.

Based on his “confusion and behavior” he wasn’t questioned further, the records shows, but during the ride admitted to using meth and agreed to provide a urine sample for testing.

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