Marion man charged with killing 4 found competent to stand trial

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Marion man who was arrested in June on charges that he bludgeoned four people to death with a metal pipe was cleared Monday to stand trial after being evaluated by a psychologist.

Luke Wade Truesdell, 34, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Amanda Sue Parker, 33, of Vinton, and her boyfriend, Romondus “Roe” Lamar Cooper, 44, of Cedar Rapids, and Brent Anthony Brown, 34, and his girlfriend, Keonna Victoria Ryan, 26, of Cedar Rapids.

All four victims were found June 5 with blunt force injuries to the head and neck in an outbuilding at 3699 East Otter Rd., near Marion. The property is owned by Lon Brown, the father of Brent Brown.

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Brent Brown was the only one still alive when police responded to the scene, but he died from his injuries three days later.

A criminal complaint stated Truesdell told deputies he bludgeoned the four with a metal pipe. Video surveillance captured images of him in the area of the outbuilding. There have been no details released about how Truesdell was able to attack the four victims and whether all the victims were in the outbuilding with Truesdell at the same time.

Truesdell invoked his speedy trial rights and a trial was scheduled for September. But it was delayed last month when Truesdell’s lawyers filed a motion requesting a competency evaluation, saying without elaboration that he may be suffering from a mental defect that would prevent him from understanding the charges against him or assisting in his defense.

Truesdell met with a certified psychiatrist. A report dated Friday from the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville was provided to the court.

“The IMCC report concluded that: ‘At this time I believe Mr. Luke Wade Truesdell is competent to stand trial.’ Defendant’s attorney indicated she had no contrary evidence, and agreed that Defendant is currently competent to stand trial,” according to a motion filed Monday by 6th Judicial District Judge Liz Dupuich, who held the hearing.

There were no objections from the prosecution either, and Dupuich cleared Truesdell to stand trial. His trial is now scheduled for April 8, 2025.

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If Truesdell had been declared incompetent, he would have returned to the Coralville hospital while doctors sought to restore his competency so he could face trial.

Truesdell remains held at the Linn County Jail on a $4 million cash-only bail.

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