Gazette Daily News Podcast: Friday, Feb. 23, 2024

Two accused in kidnapping, killing of Marion woman, third man arrested on conspiracy charge

University of Iowa eyes second new parking ramp across from Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Governor appoints Cedar Rapids family law lawyer as next 6th Judicial District judge

Episode Transcript

You are listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast on Friday, February 23. This podcast gives quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Coming up, Two men are accused in the kidnapping and killing of a Marion woman and a third man has been arrested on a conspiracy charge

And later, the UI is looking to reshape parking on the west side of campus

Plus, a new 6th Judicial District judge is appointed

First, two men out on bail in another case are charged with first-degree murder. 23-year-old McKinley Louisma, of Hiawatha, and 18-year-old Dakota Lyle Van Patten, of Cedar Rapids, are accused of kidnapping and murdering 20-year-old Marion resident Melody Hoffman. A third man, 18-year-old Logan Kimpton, of Hiawatha, was arrested Thursday on a charge of conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. Louisma’s charges were upgraded Thursday to include first-degree murder. He is also charged with first-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. Van Patten was also charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony.

Video surveillance shows all three men at Walmart in southwest Cedar Rapids where they bought two machetes and gloves, according to criminal complaints.

A few nights before Hoffman’s death, Kimpton told three other people that he and two others had a plan to kill someone. Kimpton admitted to being at the Walmart with Louisma and Van Patten Saturday night. When an investigator told Kimpton in an interview he, quote, “chickened out” end quote, Kimpton agreed. Louisma admitted that he and Van Patten kidnapped Hoffman from Morgan Creek Park in Linn County. Hoffman was found dead Sunday by Lily Lake at 220th Trail and 38th Avenue in Amana. A preliminary report from the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s office determined strangulation was Hoffman’s cause of death, although her body had multiple stab and slash wounds. Sixth Judicial Associate District Judge Russell Keast set a $2.5 million bond for both Louisma and Van Patten, but allowed them to be surety bonds. That’s where a defendant can pay $250,000 through a bond company to be released from jail pending trial.

Louisma and Van Patten are accused of kidnapping and killing Hoffman while out on bail for assault charges in another case. The men were charged with willful injury resulting in bodily injury after police say they punched, kicked and kneed a man at a Cedar Rapids apartment. In that case, Louisma was released from jail on a $5,000 bail and Van Patten was released on a $10,000 bail.

For more details, follow the link in this episode’s description. That will take you to the full story available at The Gazette dot com.

Next, the University of Iowa is eyeing not one, but two new parking ramps on the west side of campus. This comes as the UI reshapes the west side to accommodate a new $1 billion inpatient tower, a $249 million Health Sciences Academic Building and other renovation and expansion projects. Next week, the Board of Regents will consider a request from the university to spend up to $60 million on a parking ramp in the lot across the street from Carver-Hawkeye Arena and west of the College of Dentistry. This would add a net of 800 parking stalls. If approved, the ramp would join the $75 million, five-level, 985-stall Hawkeye Ramp being built just north of Kinnick Stadium. Meanwhile, some parking is being eliminated from the west side, including the UI Hospitals and Clinics’ parking ramp 1. This change makes way for the new inpatient tower. The parking plan for the west side is to designate UIHC parking ramps 2,3, and 4 for patients only and move parking for athletics events, dentistry services and the Veterans Affairs hospital to the north of Newton Road.

View a map and read the full story by following the link in this episode’s description. That’ll take you to the story on The Gazette dot com.

Next, Governor Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday that she is appointing Cedar Rapids lawyer and magistrate Mark Fisher as the next 6th Judicial District judge. Fisher is filling a vacancy created when Judge Sean McPartland retired earlier this month. Fisher told The Gazette he was honored and is looking forward to serving on the court and serving the community. Fisher said he admired the work of lawyers and judges while growing up in Fort Dodge and his goal was to become a judge someday. Fisher is currently a partner with Howes Law Firm and has served as a magistrate judge since 2019. He received his Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University in 2004 and his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2007. The 6th judicial district includes Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Tama counties.

As always, you can find a link to each of the stories featured in today’s episode in this episode’s description or at the gazette dot com.

Finally, let’s take a look at today’s weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today will be cloudy with a high of 48 degrees and a low of 19 degrees. Saturday will be mostly cloudy. Expect a high of 44 degrees and a low of 34 degrees.

Thank you for listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast. Stay up to date with the latest news from Eastern Iowa at the gazette dot com. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com