Records: Nicholas Luerkens phoned Lynnsey Donald 175 times in months before fatal ambush

CEDAR RAPIDS - Nicholas Luerkens called former girlfriend Lynnsey Donald some 175 times in less than three months, making two calls about an hour before police say he stabbed her to death April 21 in the parking lot of a Marion grocery store, records released Thursday show.

Luerkens, 32, of Cedar Rapids, apparently was following Donald, 29, for months before the ambush and fatal attack, according search warrant applications filed in Linn County District Court.

The documents provide more details of the attack in the Marion Hy-Vee parking lot, including how Donald's 7-year-old son identified Luerkens as the attacker.

Luerkens is charged with first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty and will claim he was insane, or had diminished capacity, and was intoxicated at the time, according to court documents. His trial is set for July 27.

According to the warrants a woman who owned the home where Donald had recently lived told police Luerkens had driven to places he knew Donald would go and showed up at her Marion residence trying to contact Donald.

Luerkens, who had recently lost his job, didn't see her that day, but the woman told police he was trying to persuade Donald to reconcile.

According to a forensic examination of their phones and phone records, Luerkens called Donald 175 times from Feb. 9 to April 21. He also called her at 2:07 and 3:06 p.m. before she was killed after 4 p.m. April 21. Donald also called Luerkens about 20 times from Feb. 9 to April 8, the records show.

Investigators found a series of text messages on Donald's phone between the two on March 20. Luerkens was asking for a time to meet with her to discuss their relationship, warrants show.

Donald denied his request twice that day, stating, 'No, I'm done.”

But Luerkens called her 37 times after that.

Surveillance video from cameras in the parking lot that captured the attack shows it started when Donald left the store and headed to her car, holding her son's hand, records show.

Luerkens approached them, records show, grabbing Donald's arm while stabbing her in the chest and abdomen.

She fell to the ground but Luerkens hovered over her, records show, continuing to stab her.

Luerkens then stabbed himself in the abdomen. A store employee came up behind him, holding him to the ground until police arrived.

When police came, Luerkens became 'hysterical, according to the warrants. An employee told officers that Luerkens had sat next to Donald's body, saying 'I have to kill myself.”

Later, while Luerkens was hospitalized, an officer said the doctor treating him reported there was marijuana in Luerkens' system, the warrants show.

Investigators said that Donald's son looked on 'from only a few feet away” during the stabbing and then ran.

He was later found and identified Luerkens as his mother's attacker, the records show.

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