CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Linn County Sheriff’s Office reports Brent Brown, the fourth victim of an attack that killed three others Wednesday in rural Linn County, has died from his injuries. The Johnson County Medical Examiner pronounced Brown dead on Friday. He was 34 years old. Luke Truesdell is now charged with four counts of first-degree murder. Officials said the attack happened on Wednesday, where police found three people–Romondus Cooper, Keonna Ryan and Amanda Parker–dead in an out building at the 3600 block of East Otter Road in northern Linn County. Investigators said Truesdell admitted to beating four people with a metal pipe. Truesell is expected to make an appearance in court on Monday on that new, fourth charge of first-degree murder. Brown’s body will be transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny for autopsy. The investigation into this incident continues.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The man found guilty of voluntary manslaughter for the 2023 stabbing death of Devonna Walker in Cedar Rapids was sentenced by a judge on Friday. During Shane Teslik’s trial, his attorneys argued that Teslik was defending himself, his then-girlfriend, and his daughter who was standing behind him in the doorway at the time of the stabbing. Prosecutors argued that Teslik admitted he was not afraid of Walker and that he called Walker the “n-word” to provoke her. Teslik was also found guilty of disorderly conduct. On Friday, a judge sentenced Teslik to 10 years in prison, with the potential of parole after serving 5 years.
TAMA COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa man was sentenced on Thursday in a domestic abuse case from 2023. Theron Garcia was initially charged with first-degree kidnapping and domestic abuse assault, but after accepting a plea deal, entered plea of guilty to Kidnapping in the Third Degree, Willful Injury and Domestic Abuse Strangulation. According to a criminal complaint, Garcia shoved the victim down the steps into the garage and confronted her about “showing off” for their friend. Garcia allegedly hit the victim with his hand. He also took her phone and would assault her for anything he found on the device that he did not approve of. At one point during the assault, Garcia is accused of hitting the victim in the head with a folding stool, causing the stool to break. He would later grab an axe and use that to hit the victim. The victim told investigators that she believed Garcia got the axe so he could kill her. According to a criminal complaint, Garcia told the victim that he was ready to “do this” and made comments to the victim about how “no one would miss her”. Garcia also allegedly told the victim that they were in his garage because no one would hear them and made it known to her that he would kill her if he went back to prison. A judge sentenced Garcia to 5 years in prison.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa says employment is expected to increase by almost 13% during this decade, creating almost a quarter million new jobs by 2030. But employers are already finding it a challenge filling the job openings of today. Cedar Rapids, Marion and Hiawatha are trying to fill a job that could help fill all those other jobs. The Mayors of Cedar Rapids, Marion and Hiawatha say the biggest problem they see is workforce development. Right now, 2,800 people work in the Cedar Rapids school districts, from administrators to teachers and support staff, but more are needed. Marion, Hiawatha, and Cedar Rapids businesses are also seeing what happens when there are not enough people to fill jobs. Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’ Donnell says great companies in this community are turning down business because they don’t have enough people to do the work. The Metro Economic Alliance is looking to hire a Talent Attraction Director to help market the area, find quality job candidates and then connect them to employers. Mayor O’Donnell also says public and private support from businesses is essential to carry out this new initiative from the Metro Economic Alliance. Doug Neumann of the Economic Alliance says growing the metro area is a slow process and so will be filling this position. This new position will not work alone. The Metro Economic Alliance says it will create a workforce Innovation Council of area business leaders who will help develop strategies to grow the area.
