116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Video indicates two couples bludgeoned with metal pipe were attacked separately
Marion man came out after following first couple inside outbuilding, then followed second couple as they entered
Nov. 10, 2025 6:17 pm
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
CEDAR RAPIDS — Surveillance video played in a Linn County courtroom Monday showed the four people bludgeoned with a metal pipe last year didn’t all enter an outbuilding near Marion at the same time, but only Luke Truesdell exited the building alive.
Romondus Cooper and his girlfriend, Amanda Parker, first went into the outbuilding at 3699 Otter Rd., where they lived at the time, and then Luke Truesdell — who is on trial for killing them and another couple — followed them. Parker exited the building one time to get water and then went back in the building. Neither Cooper nor Parker came out again.
During this same time, video showed that Brent Brown and his girlfriend, Keonna Ryan, who both lived in the house on the property with Brent’s father, Lon Brown, were outside doing yardwork at the house, which is next to the building.
After a few minutes, Brent and Ryan seemed to react to something, as the video showed they both looked over at the outbuilding. Noise from the wind made it difficult to hear audio from the video, but it sounded like a scream, and then the couple went over to the building.
The video showed Ryan entering the building first, as Luke Truesdell came out. After Brent entered the outbuilding, Luke Truesdell turned around and went back inside.
That was the last time Cooper, Parker, Brent and Ryan were seen alive, a detective said Monday.
The trial of Luke Truesdell, 35, of Marion, who is charged with four counts of first-degree murder, resumed Monday after it started last Tuesday in Linn County District Court.
Truesdell is accused of killing Brent Brown, 34, Keonna Ryan, 26, of Cedar Rapids, Amanda Parker, 33, of Vinton, and Romondus Cooper, 44, of Cedar Rapids, on June 5, 2024. All suffered major head injuries.
The prosecution will continue its case Wednesday. The courthouse is closed Tuesday for Veterans Day.
Linn County Sheriff’s Detective Lt. Todd Egli, who on Monday resumed his testimony from Friday, identified portions of the video for the jury because the surveillance cameras installed on Lon Brown’s house don’t show close up views of the outbuilding. Egli said he had reviewed the videos more than 100 times during the investigation.
The video also showed Luke Truesdell’s father, Larry Truesdell, at the scene. He remained working on a boat, several feet from the outbuilding. Larry didn’t go into the building until Luke Truesdell came out and approached the boat. Egli said Luke went over to the boat to leave his knife, which Luke told law enforcement later.
The video then showed Larry entering the building and Luke following him. When they emerged, Larry had his arms raised, as if he was upset. Larry was saying something to Luke, Egli said. As the two walked back over to the house, Larry yelled “Idiot” at Luke, Egli said.
When Larry reached the porch of the house, he threw what appeared to be an ax near Luke, who was on the handicapped ramp area.
The video showed Larry entering the house, and Egli said he was yelling at someone to call an ambulance. He also can be heard saying, “What do you mean you don’t know?”
The video then showed Larry back over at the outbuilding, smoking a cigarette and he seemed to be pacing. Luke also went over to the outbuilding, then back to the house, and then returned to the outbuilding.
Several minutes later, the video shows Matt Brown, Brent’s brother, arriving at the outbuilding and then his other brother, Cody Brown also arriving. Matt Brown testified last week about arriving at the property.
Egli said after Matt Brown came out of the outbuilding, video showed him on his phone, which was consistent with his statement to deputies that he called 911 after discovering four victims inside the outbuilding.
The video ended with law enforcement arriving at the scene.
Assistant Linn County Attorney Jordan Schier said there weren’t any cameras inside Lon Brown’s house, and asked whether there’s an information about whether Luke Truesdell may have washed his hands.
Egli said no.
Schier asked why the swab of Larry Truesdell’s hands — for DNA — wasn’t tested, and Egli said Larry’s DNA was already entered in CODIS, a national DNA database maintained by the FBI, so it wasn’t needed.
The defense has suggested that Larry or another person could be possible suspects, instead of Luke Truesdell.
On cross exam, Adrian Haughton, Luke Truesdell’s attorney, asked if Luke seemed to be “rambling” after he was arrested and taken to the sheriff’s office, and could that have been a result of him being high on methamphetamine.
Egli agreed, although he added that Luke did make comments related to the killings of the four.
Haughton asked if Luke was tested for meth and Egli said he tested positive for meth and marijuana.
Blood evidence
Tara Scott, a criminalist with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, testified Monday about DNA evidence found in the case.
The evidence tested included a pair of gloves; a knife sheath belonging to Luke; Luke’s clothing — a green T-shirt, jeans, black sneakers, socks — and a black metal pipe, which was the alleged murder weapon.
Scott said blood was found on the front left sleeve of Luke’s shirt. It had a mixture of two individuals’ DNA, with the major contributor being Cooper. The minor contributor couldn’t be determined.
Luke’s black sneakers had blood on the right heel that matched Cooper.
The black pipe had hair and blood on one end that was tested, and the other end also was tested for any DNA.
Scott said she examined a sampling of 41 hairs taken from the pipe and four of those were suitable — contained a root — for testing. The DNA profile matched Ryan.
The blood on the pipe matched the profile of Cooper and Ryan. Scott said there also were other stains that tested positive for blood and had a mixture of DNA from two people, with the major contributor as Cooper but minor couldn’t be determined.
The other stain had a mixture of three individuals with Ryan being the major contributor, but the other two couldn’t be determined.
The DNA found on the other end of the pipe matched Luke Truesdell, Scott said.
Trish Mehaffey covers state and federal courts for The Gazette
Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com
Daily Newsletters