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Murder suspect from Marion found fit to stand trial in April 2025

A suspect who is said to have killed four people in Marion has been declared fit to stand trial following a medical examination.

Luke Truesdell, 34, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder after police say he beat four people to death with a metal pipe outside a Cedar Rapids suburb in June.

At the end of July, the court ordered a medical examination. Truesdell was subjected to a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he suffered from a mental disorder that would limit him during the criminal proceedings.

The Iowa Medical Classification Center's investigation found Truesdell was “competent to stand trial,” according to court documents filed Monday. The court said Truesdell's attorney presented no further evidence of his insanity and agreed he was competent to stand trial.

A court order on July 24 stayed the criminal proceedings pending the results of the investigation. That order has been lifted and a jury trial is scheduled to begin on April 8, 2025.

More: Fourth victim of Marion murders dies, suspect again charged with premeditated murder

Film could have been motive for murder

Police identified the three people killed at the scene as Romondus Lamar Cooper, 44, of Cedar Rapids; Keonna Victoria Ryan, 26, of Cedar Rapids; and Amanda Sue Parker, 33, of Vinton. A fourth person, Brent Anthony Brown, 34, of Marion, died two days later.

Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner told the Des Moines Register in June that Truesdell reportedly wanted the crime to be made into a film.

“As far as I know, he assumed a film would be made about the crime,” Gardner said. “As far as I know, he did not film the crime.”

Truesdell met with police when they arrived at the scene and allegedly admitted to beating the four victims with a metal pipe. A pipe containing blood and hair was discovered at the scene, according to a criminal complaint.

Truesdell pleaded not guilty in June and waived his right to a speedy trial in July.

More: Police say film could be possible motive for Linn County murders; Marion man arrested

Ryan Hansen covers local politics and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.

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