Grieving family members ask judge to give Lawson Chadwick max sentence in death of city worker

CEDAR RAPIDS — Lisa Wulfekuhle says she and her family have been given a 'life sentence without parole' but have done nothing wrong.

Wulfekuhle and eight other family members delivered heart-wrenching victim's impact statements Monday during the sentencing of Lawson Chadwick, who admitted during a plea hearing in May to driving under the influence of methamphetamine and amphetamines on April 17, 2015, when he led police on a high-speed chase before running a stop sign and crashing into a van driven by Stephen J. Cook.

Cook, a Cedar Rapids Water Division worker and Palo volunteer firefighter, was ejected from the van and died the next day. He was 35 years old.

'The hardest thing I have ever done would be to watch my husband die in front of my eyes and have no options to save him,' said Wulfekuhle, the mother of two children. 'Today, we are here because of choices. It started with Lawson Chadwick's choice to have no regard for the law, anyone's safety or anyone's life. He chose to only care for himself.'

Chadwick sat quietly, looking up at her from the defendant's table. At times, he seemed to tear up during the two-and-a-half-hour hearing.

Wulfekuhle asked the judge to protect the community from 'this monster' and give him the maximum sentence — up to 40 years.

There were sighs of relief from the packed courtroom, filled with Cook's family, friends and co-workers, when 6th Judicial District Judge Sean McPartland sentenced Chadwick to the 40 years in prison. He ran the 25-year sentence for homicide by vehicle while under the influence of methamphetamine and amphetamine and the 15 years for first-degree theft as a habitual offender consecutively.

There is no mandatory term to serve before being eligible for parole.

The judge also ordered Chadwick to pay $150,000 in victim's restitution to Cook's estate and more than $12,000 to the theft victim, Acro Manufacturing.

'I'm deeply sorry ... for causing the death of Stephen,' Chadwick, 48, of Cedar Rapids, said while facing Cook's family in the courtroom. 'I am responsible. I am the one to be held accountable.'

Chadwick said he wants to help other drug addicts in prison, and do whatever he can to honor Cook, who he knows was well respected in the community.

'I'm the one responsible,' he said again. 'I'm the one to be held accountable.'

No members of Chadwick's family were in the courtroom Monday but two people submitted statements of support for him.

Chadwick in May also admitted to having stolen property in his truck at the time of the crash. The equipment, valued at more than $10,000, was from Acro Manufacturing, a machine shop in Cedar Rapids. He also confirmed that he had been previously convicted of three felonies, two burglaries and one possession of precursors, to warrant the habitual offender enhancement.

Assistant Linn County Attorney Nic Scott, in arguing for consecutive sentences, said Chadwick has had mental health and drug treatment, he even graduated from drug court after being burned in a methamphetamine fire, but two months after graduation he was using meth and breaking the law.

'He has earned himself consecutive sentences,' Scott said.

McPartland acknowledged Chadwick's remorse, saying Chadwick isn't a 'monster' but he has made a 'series of bad mistakes,' and he thought the consecutive sentences would provide him with the best chance for rehabilitation while holding him accountable.

Todd Weimer, Chadwick's lawyer, who argued for concurrent sentences, which would be 25 years, said after the hearing that he appreciated the judge's remarks. He also said Chadwick accepts the sentence.

Other family members in their statements talked about seeing Cook's unconscious body in the hospital and how difficult it was to remove the ventilator keeping him alive, and how some felt guilt at brief moments of happiness.

After Cook died, Lucky Wulfekuhle, 16, his stepson, said he only remembered his 'dad's cold hands' and his lifeless body in the hospital, not happy memories. Everything after that was a 'blur' and the hospital scenes will 'forever haunt him.'

Lucky said he still talks to 'Beano,' his nickname for Cook, while driving. He misses the 'honest' man, who was a great listener and could 'light up the room with his smile.'

Lucky also regretted not hugging his 'dad' and telling him he loved him the day of the crash.

Joelle Cook, Stephen Cook's sister from Washington state, in her tearful statement, talked about her painful stages of grief. She said during her flight to Iowa after hearing of the crash, she knew her life would be changed forever but just didn't know how.

'I bargained with God,' she said, tearing up. 'Take my life for his. I didn't have kids at the time. I didn't want my niece and nephew to grow up without a father.'

Joelle said it was unfair because her brother was a 'good and honorable man' and Chadwick was a 'bad person who had done a lot of bad things,' but he lived.