Nicholas Luerkens plotted to kill Lynnsey Donald, prosecutor says in opening

CEDAR RAPIDS — A prosecutor said Tuesday Nicholas Luerkens armed himself with the 'biggest knife' in his apartment and plotted his ambush on former girlfriend Lynnsey Donald in the Marion grocery store parking lot on April 21.

'The facts will show Luerkens used his knife on Lynnsey Donald nearly 30 times,' Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden said during his opening statement. 'She was lifeless as he straddled her.'

Luerkens, 32, of Cedar Rapids, is on trial this week for first-degree murder. According to testimony, Luerkens ambushed Donald as she left the store with her 7-year-old son, who ran from the scene. After killing Donald, he stabbed and injured himself.

Vander Sanden said Luerkens started stalking her after she broke up with him. They lived together with her son for some time but that all changed when Luerkens started drinking. Donald moved out and Luerkens couldn't accept the fact it was over.

Luerkens, at some point, started to 'hate her,' Vander Sanden said. Police found 'clear' evidence that this was 'premeditated.' Officers found the butcher block with the missing chef knife in his apartment, along with a day planner or journal that had a 'To do' list. The list included 'Plot to track down and kill Lynnsey and maybe her son,' 'Think about ways to kill Lynnsey,' Lynnsey deserves to die' and Lynnsey will die.'

David Grinde and Sarah Hradek, Luerkens' lawyers, reserved their opening statement to make when the defense case begins. They will claim Luerkens was insane or had diminished capacity and was intoxicated at the time.

The other testimony Tuesday was emotional and difficult for witnesses who saw the deadly stabbing. The jurors also saw a graphic surveillance video taken from the Hy-Vee parking lot cameras of the killing.

Teresa Micek, 46, of Marion, testified she heard screaming and yelling in the parking lot as she left the store that day. As she got closer, a man was cursing a woman and then he grabbed her, pushing her to the ground, as a child screamed 'Mommy, mommy.' The man then got on top of the woman.

Micek said at first, she didn't know he was stabbing Donald. She then saw the knife and told him to stop. Luerkens continued to stab Donald five or six times. Micek called 911 and she heard Luerkens screaming 'I want to die.'

Breanna Clark, 24, of Central City, testified she came out of the store and she heard Donald's son say 'He's killing my mom.' The boy started moving away from the area. Clark then tried to push and pull Luerkens off Donald. She saw him stabbing Donald in the chest and stomach area. 'Maybe 20 times. A lot,' she said.

Luerkens said he was killing his wife, Clark said.

Michael Essex, 39, a Hy-Vee manager, testified he pulled Luerkens off Donald. He said Luerkens was trying to straighten out the knife, as if he was trying to sharpen it. Essex told Luerkens to stop and then he stabbed himself twice but it 'wasn't a serious effort. They were 'superficial' wounds.'

On cross, Dave Grinde asked if he would be surprised to know one of Luerkens' stab wounds lacerated his liver.

Essex said he was surprised.

The video clearly showed the brutal attack with Luerkens stabbing her repeatedly. The jurors didn't show any reaction but Donald's family was tearing up and became upset. Luerkens family was also in the courtroom but they didn't watch the video.

Marion Police Officer Nick Martens testified about the video taken from his squad car that captured the scene after Luerkens was pulled down by Essex. As the video started to play, Martens wiped his eyes. The scene was chaotic with a lot of screaming by witnesses and yelling and moaning noises from Luerkens.

Martens arrested Luerkens as he was screaming, saying he didn't want to go to jail and didn't want to be alive.

The prosecution will continue its case at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Linn County District Court. The trial is expected to last all week. Follow Gazette reporter Trish Mehaffey's live coverage from the courtroom.