Luerkens sentenced to life in stabbing death

CEDAR RAPIDS - Not many families have a wedding, funeral and birthday party all within two days.

But Lynnsey Donald would have wanted to celebrate her cousin's nuptials and her son's birthday, her grandmother said Friday.

'That wedding day was bitterly cold, it rained during the outdoor event but our hearts were warmed knowing that our love for our Lynnsey didn't die with her - that it still kept residence in our souls,” Roberta Donald said in her victim statement read aloud by Chris Adcock, a Linn County Attorney's Office victim/witness coordinator, during sentencing for Nicholas Luerkens, who killed her granddaughter.

Roberta Donald said she is a 'woman of faith,” but the tragedy has caused many in her family to question their faith and 'healing and forgiving” is difficult for them.

'This senseless act has altered each of our lives,” she said in the statement. 'Our family is missing a loved, sweet young lady.”

Luerkens, 33, convicted by a jury last month, was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for stabbing to death 29-year-old Lynnsey Donald on April 21. Testimony showed he ambushed his former girlfriend in the parking lot of the Marion Hy-Vee, stabbing her 32 times in front of her 7-year-old son.

Related Podcast: Trish Mehaffey goes in depth on Nicholas Luerkens case, sentencing

Steve Donald, Lynnsey's father, in his statement lashed out at Luerkens, telling him he will no longer have a name 'as he is stricken from my thoughts forever.” He said he knew Luerkens was a 'poor excuse for a man” when he met him.

'Then, when he committed this hateful, selfish, tragic act against my Lynnsey, he had the audacity to do it right in front of her 7-year-old son, as that little boy stood a few feet away - watching, screaming, helpless and in shock. That murderer didn't care what he did to that little boy, or to Lynnsey, or to the people who loved her.”

Steve Donald said Luerkens repeatedly admitted to knowing the consequences of his actions, but 'never once has he shown regret or exhibited an ounce of sympathy or remorse.”

Both family members talked about how the family has suffered since, not being able to sleep and having nightmares of Lynnsey's body on the cold pavement or seeing her 'fighting for her life, screaming and worrying in her last life's thoughts about her son.”

Steve Donald said the evidence was 'overwhelming and convincing” and Leurkens should have admitted his guilt and not made the family and witnesses relive it.

The grieving grandmother and father also talked about how much they loved Lynnsey and how she endured so much loss in her life - her mother had an epileptic seizure and died when Lynnsey was 17. Lynnsey struggled after her death and then she had her child, 'a baby boy that brought her life a renewed purpose.”

Luerkens, before District Judge Mitchell Turner sentenced him to the mandatory term, said he agreed with the family statements.

Before he was sentenced, Leurkens said he was sorry.

'Just because I haven't said I feel guilt and remorse doesn't mean I don't feel it every day,” he said. 'I'm truly sorry for what happened.”

Luerkens' attorneys asked for a new trial, claiming jury selection and evidence issues. But Turner said he had reviewed submitted written arguments and flatly denied them, saying each had already been addressed and denied during trial.

Turner also ordered Luerkens to pay $13,485 restitution and $150,000 to the Lynnsey Donald's estate.

l Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com