Motive and murder weapon revealed in Wednesday's Linn County killings, victim's friend speaks out

LINN COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – A new criminal complaint and statement from the Linn County Sheriff's Office sheds new light on what happened in rural Linn County.

First responders found 3 people dead and one seriously injured during the call Wednesday afternoon at a home on East Otter Road.

Investigators say Luke Truesdell, 34, of Marion, is responsible.

“We learned, and the county attorney included it in his complaint, that Mr. Truesdell admitted to hitting the people with a metal pipe in and around the head or face. And that appears, at this point, to have at least contributed to or led to the cause of death,” said Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner.

The deceased are Romondus Cooper, 44, Keonna Ryan, 26, and Amanda Parker, 33. Brent Brown, 34, is currently hospitalized in critical condition.

Lilly Creller, a friend and former colleague of Amanda Parker, said she was shocked by the murders.

“When I saw the article that identified the victims, that’s when I found out it was her. And I love…my heart sank. Because I was like, I couldn't have even imagined it would have been her… She always went out of her way to make sure I had a better day. And she always had a smile on her face, like it was one of the most contagious smiles ever. she said of Parker.

However, she says the worst part of this loss was discovering the reason “why” she was killed.

According to the criminal complaint, Truesdell attacked the victims in hopes that a movie would be made about the crimes.

“It’s just sick. It's really crazy that someone could dream of making a movie about killing people. Especially here in Cedar Rapids. Everyone knows it's not the best city, but you know, there are good people here and people take care of the community here. And knowing that there is someone here who dreams of making a movie about killing people makes me so sick. It turns my stomach, I hate it. Creller said.

And since she says Parker was a well-liked member of the community, she's not sure how to move forward.

But she hopes that while her loved ones grieve, they will come together to celebrate the person Parker was.

“I think staying in touch with each other and keeping up and making sure everyone is OK will be the way to keep moving forward.” Creller said.

A GoFundMe has been set up to support Parker's loved ones.

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