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Former Cedar Rapids man pleads guilty to 2006 Missouri murder of former C.R. woman; Gazette archives, obit
John McGlothlen
Sep. 9, 2009 12:12 pm
ROLLA, Mo. (AP) - After maintaining his innocence for three years, an Iowa man has pleaded guilty to 2006 killing a 63-year-old St. James woman.
Seventy-one-year-old Pantaleone Salvatore Salinas pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the stabbing death of Renee A. Zeman.
The plea agreement came one week before Salinas was scheduled to go to trial on first-degree murder charges.
Salinas was arrested at his home in Ames, Iowa, a few days after Zeman's body was discovered by her son in her St. James home in August 2006.
Prosecutors say Zeman and Salinas had broken up after a long-term relationship. Sentencing was set for Nov. 4.
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Information from: Rolla Daily News
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
From the archives:
Man sought in murder
Longtime girlfriend stabbed to death
By Christoph Trappe
The Gazette
CEDAR RAPIDS - Police are looking for a Cedar Rapids man, described as jealous and controlling, in the death of his longtime girlfriend who died after being stabbed in the neck in Missouri.
Police in at least two states are looking for Pantaleon S. Salinas, 68, of Cedar Rapids, as a suspect in the death of Renee Zeman, of St. James, Mo., who was found dead over the weekend by her son.
"It is very, very wrong that this happened to her," Zeman's daughter Carol Becker, 39, of Cedar Rapids said. "She was a very trusting and forgiving person."
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said officers have a first-degree murder warrant for Salinas' arrest in the woman's death, as first reported Tuesday at www.GazetteOnline.com
If convicted he could face the death penalty.
"We think he's in Iowa," Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. James Folsom said.
Zeman, 64, and Salinas had shared a home at 3207 Circle Dr. NE, Cedar Rapids, but sold it last week, officials said. Zeman had her own house in St. James, Mo., about 350 miles south of Cedar Rapids.
Salinas has no major criminal record in Iowa but in 1998 was convicted of public intoxication. In June, Cedar Rapids police were called to the couple's Circle Drive home for a report of a domestic disturbance. No report was made in the case, Cedar Rapids police said.
Zeman returned to Cedar Rapids frequently and attended church services at Unity Center of Cedar Rapids, 3791 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE.
"She was an active member here at Unity," the Rev. Thelma Hembroff said.
She worked there in May at the church's Circulation Day, when people bring items they don't need and other people can take items and leave a donation, Hembroff said.
"Periodically (Salinas) would stop and see if she was still here" on that day she worked in May, Hembroff said. "My perception was that he was trying to control her."
Hembroff said Salinas appeared jealous if Zeman focused on something besides him but that he was charming, well dressed, well spoken and well mannered.
A memorial service for Zeman will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at the church.
Zeman was a security guard at Rockwell Collins for more than 15 years, Becker said. She also ushered and restored an old organ at the Paramount Theatre.
"She was an inspiration to a lot of people," Becker said.
Zeman's son found her Sunday afternoon at her residence. Missouri law enforcement officials said preliminary autopsy results showed that Zeman died at the hands of another person and was stabbed in the neck with a knife.
Police said Salinas was seen Monday morning in Cuba, Mo., about 25 miles northeast of Rolla, driving a green 1984 Chrysler Town and Country mini-van with Iowa license 601RJT. He could be heading to Cedar Rapids, where he works at Rockwell Collins, Missouri law enforcement officials said.
Rockwell Collins declined to comment on what Salinas does.
Salinas is Hispanic, 5 foot 8 and weighs about 160 pounds. He has brown eyes and brown hair with gray highlights. Anyone who sees the suspected vehicles or Salinas is asked to not stop them but call law enforcement.
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Details of deadly weekend emerge
C.R. man arrested in Missouri murder
By Christoph Trappe
The Gazette
Correction: OCCUPATION WRONG Renee Zeman had worked as a security guard at Rockwell Collins. The Gazette could not confirm what Pantaleon Salinas, her longtime boyfriend who is accused of murdering her, does at Rockwell. That information was incorrect in a Thursday story because of a reporter's error.
After a Cedar Rapids man was arrested Tuesday night in the slaying of his former longtime girlfriend, details of the deadly weekend emerged from court records.
Pantaleon S. Salinas, 68, took Friday off from work and drove about 350 miles to Missouri to get property from the home of his ex-girlfriend, Renee Zeman, 64.
The couple, who had been together for many years, had broken up in recent weeks.
By the end of the weekend, Salinas, who has worked as a security guard at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, had stabbed Zeman in the neck, killing her at her home in St. James, Mo., court records say.
He fled the scene, but his car broke down Saturday afternoon about 25 miles from Zeman's home. He stayed around - renting a motel room - for the rest of the weekend while his car was being fixed, records show. On Monday morning, he checked out of his hotel early, got his car and took off for Iowa.
Police found a blood spot that may belong to Zeman inside Salinas's motel room, court records show.
Missouri officials believed Salinas was heading back to Iowa, possibly to Cedar Rapids.
Local agencies were notified to be on the lookout for him.
Salinas was arrested without incident around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at a friend's apartment in Ames, north of Des Moines in central Iowa.
As reported Wednesday morning at www.GazetteOnline.com, Ames Police Chief Loras Jaeger told The Gazette that Missouri authorities called his force Tuesday night to check an Ames apartment for Salinas, who was wanted in Zeman's death.
Salinas was taken to the Story County Jail and later picked up by Missouri officials to be taken back to Missouri, the chief said.
The deadly weekend started when Salinas arrived at Zeman's home unannounced early Friday, court records say.
Boxes of Salinas' possessions were found neatly placed outside the residence.
Zeman was found at her Missouri residence Sunday by a son. Preliminary autopsy results show she was stabbed in the neck and had been dead for at least 24 hours, court records show.
Missouri authorities said they obtained a first-degree murder and armed criminal action warrant for Salinas' arrest Tuesday. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
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OBITUARY
Renee Ann Zeman, 64, of St. James, Mo., formerly of Cedar Rapids, was found Sunday, Aug. 20, 2006, in her home. Memorial services: 1 p.m. Thursday, James & Gahr Mortuary Chapel in Rolla, Mo., by the Rev. Anne Marie Davis; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Unity Center of Cedar Rapids, by the Rev. Thelma Hembroff.
Survivors include three children, Eric Becker of St. Louis, Carol Becker of Cedar Rapids and John Becker of Rolla, Mo.; and three brothers, Gene of Eureka, Mo., Al of Oakville, Mo., and Roger of St. Louis.
Also surviving are son John's mate, Lisa DuFek; sisters-in-law, Regina, Gerry and Marie; nieces; nephews; many friends; her precious dog, Dingle Dog; and several granddogs.
She was preceded in death by her parents, and one sister, Vernel Zeman.
Renee was born Aug. 13, 1942, in St. Louis, Mo., to Victor and Rose Ann (Kleisner) Zeman.
Renee loved restoring her player piano, theater organs, watching plays and enjoyed listening to music and supporting public radio and TV. She also loved nature, taking long walks in the woods, mushroom hunting, watching and feeding birds, the sound of whippoorwills, baking pies and building her dream home.
Renee lived life to the fullest; she rode her bike in RAGBRAI several times and paddled a canoe from Burlington, Iowa, to Hannibal, Mo., in Madrac. She liked riding the Amtrak, traveling cross country and going to Jamaica. She was a best friend to many, an inspiration to all and spent her life living large. She was a member of Unity Center Church in Cedar Rapids.
Renee will be extremely missed by all who knew and loved her.
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