Cedar Rapids man in custody after fatal stabbing at rural motel

CEDAR RAPIDS - A Cedar Rapids man is in custody on a first-degree murder charge for fatally stabbing a resident at a rural motel.

The Linn County Sheriff's Office and Iowa State Patrol arrested 47-year-old Michael S. Lehman Monday morning at the Ced-Rel Motel, 11901 16th Ave. SW, where the fatal stabbing occurred. He is accused of stabbing 23-year-old Jimmi-Jon Lee Lint, of Mount Auburn. Both men were staying at the motel.

During a brief court appearance Monday morning, Lehman said he was unemployed and would need a court-appointed attorney.

His bond was set at $750,000 cash on the murder charge. He has an additional bond of $250,000 on a parole violation.

The sheriff's office responded to the motel, which is in rural Cedar Rapids off of Highway 30, around 12:24 a.m. for a report of a stabbing. There, emergency responders found Lint in room 21, suffering from multiple stab wounds.

He was taken to the Mercy Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.

Lehman was arrested in room 14 of the motel, where he was living. Lehman received treatment for minor injuries at UnityPoint-St. Luke's Hospital and was taken to the Linn County Jail on one count of first-degree murder. Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner said Lehman was cooperative when authorities took him into custody.

Blood was found on Lehman's clothing when he was placed under arrest.

The suspected murder weapon, which Gardner described as a 'standard kitchen knife,” was recovered from the motel, along with other evidence.

Gardner said he could not say what prompted the altercation between Lehman and Lint, nor would he comment on any statements made by Lehman.

Lehman is a registered sex offender. According to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry, he was convicted of third-degree sexual abuse in Johnson and Clayton counties in 2009.

Both of his victims were minor girls. He has been living at the motel since July, Gardner said.

Lint was living with his brother at the motel, Gardner said. Lint's brother also is on the sex-offender registry, Gardner said.

The Ced-Rel Motel meets the requirements for sex offenders and more than 20 sex offenders are listed as living at the motel. Gardner said his office is called there most often to check on sex-offender registry compliance.

'I wouldn't say we've had an inordinate number of calls there because of the residence,” he said.

The case remains under investigation by the Linn County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office last investigated a homicide in the death of 29-year-old Crystal Gaffney, whose body was found on Linn-Buchanan Avenue last July. Shaun Hogan, of Waterloo, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in that case.