Autopsy shows Cedar Rapids man was ‘brutally’ beaten, stabbed to death in 2007

CEDAR RAPIDS — A retired Cedar Rapids police officer, who was the first to respond to a death at Hawthorne Hills Apartment complex on May 11, 2007, found the a victim lying on his back in a “hide a bed” with his feet on the floor and blood around his upper torso and head.

Steven Yardley, retired police officer, testified the tenant, Dennis First, 64, was already dead. He wasn’t breathing and seemed to have been dead for some time. Yardley found a cat but no other humans in the apartment as he conducted a protective sweep.

Yardley said First had “significant trauma” — a wound to the right side of his neck. There was also blood on the floor near the bed.

Curtis Padgett, 42, who lived in the complex at 2249 C St. SW, just downstairs from First, is on trial this week for first-degree murder. He is accused of “brutally and savagely” beating and stabbing to death First, a prosecutor said in her brief opening statement Thursday.

Todd Weimer, one of Padgett’s lawyers, during his opening, said the prosecution won’t be able to meet its burden and prove Padgett is the killer.

The evidence is circumstantial and the blood and print evidence found in First’s apartment won’t prove guilt of Padgett, Weimer said. First and Padgett were friends and Padgett had been in his apartment many times.

This was a cold case until March 2023 when Padgett was initially arrested for threatening to burn down Geneva Tower, where he lived in 2023. He was then charged in First’s death, but police declined to reveal what evidence broke open the case.

Assistant Linn County Attorney Jennifer Erger didn’t address the break in the case during her opening. It’s likely that information may be revealed through law enforcement testimony during the trial, expected to wrap up early next week.

Before jury selection started Wednesday, Padgett waived his right to a jury trial and asked for a bench — non jury — trial. Sixth Judicial District Judge Ian Thornhill will decide the verdict in this case.

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Police found bloody oven mitt in victim’s apartment

Yardley testified that apartment management opened the door when someone asked them to conduct a welfare check on First that day.

He noted the thermostat was set on 60 degrees, which seemed unusual to him because it was “very cool” in the apartment and it was only about 70 degrees outside that day.

Yardley said he also found blood on the countertop and cabinet in the kitchen and there was an oven mitt “saturated in blood” in a kitchen drawer next to the stove.

Dr. Jonathan Thompson, a state deputy medical examiner and forensic pathologist, testified about the injuries found on First during an autopsy conducted May 12, 2007 by another medical examiner who died in 2014.

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Thompson reviewed her report and other information and came to his own conclusions, which were consistent with the other medical examiner. Both medical examiners found First died from at least two sharp force injuries — stabbing injuries made by a knife or another sharp object — on the right side of First’s neck. The wound was about 6 inches in length and about 1 to 1.5 inches deep.

The stabbing injuries penetrated his neck muscle and jugular vein in his neck, causing his death, Thompson said. First also had multiple blunt force injuries to his face and head, which contributed to his death.

There was large bruising and abrasions to his right and left cheeks of his face, abrasions to his chin area, nasal bone fracture and bruising, scrapes and abrasions to his lips, inside and outside. His mouth also had cuts and hemorrhaging, as if someone struck him in the mouth, Thompson said.

First also had hemorrhaging of his brain, bruising and bleeding underneath his scalp, consistent with someone striking his head with an object.

He also suffered broken ribs — the result of “multiple blunt blows,” Thompson described, which could be caused by someone stomping on him.

There were also two reddish bruises to the top of his right forearm and bruising on the inside of his forearm and a skin tear.

Thompson said First also had some health issues, including emphysema, an enlarged prostate and coronary artery disease, but none of those contributed to his death, Thompson said.

The cause of death was the stab wound to his neck and multiple blunt force injuries to his chest and head. The manner of death was homicide.

Neighbors testify about seeing First, hearing arguing

In other testimony, Mark Stender, who now lives in Ohio and provided his testimony over the phone, lived in Hawthorne Hills in May 2007 and was a neighbor to First and Padgett. Stender said he used to play cards with First and was familiar with Padgett from the building.

Stender said he last saw First about 12:30 p.m. on May 10. At that time, First didn’t have any injuries and was alone in his apartment. The next day, he learned First had been killed.

Robert Gross, a former maintenance technician at Hawthorne Hills in 2007, said he used his master key to enter First’s apartment after management had been asked by someone to do a welfare check.

Gross saw First’s body on the bed and blood on his neck.

David Palumbo, a former Hawthorne Hills neighbor, testified he was sleeping and awoke to loud arguing upstairs on May 10, 2007

He identified the voices as Padgett and First. He couldn’t hear what they were arguing about, but he said it was loud. He said the walls were as “thin as paper.”

He then went back to sleep and didn’t know First had been killed until the next day.

On cross, Palumbo said he didn’t initially tell police about this argument he heard until 2009.

Weimer asked him if a police report said it was August 2022, would he dispute it but Palumbo said he didn’t recall it being then.

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