Autopsy: Lynnsey Donald died from 'multiple, sharp force injuries'

By Trish Mehaffey, The Gazette

Lynnsey Donald died from multiple, sharp force injuries and the manner of death is homicide, according to autopsy results obtained Thursday.

Dennis Klein, pathologist with the State Medical Examiner's office, said the autopsy was performed April 22, the day after Donald, 29, was ambushed and stabbed by Nicholas Luerkens in the parking lot of

the Marion Hy-Vee.

Luerkens then tried to kill himself. He stabbed himself in the stomach and underwent surgery before being released from the hospital last Sunday.

Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden said Thursday he couldn't comment on the autopsy report.

According to the criminal complaint, police have surveillance video taken from a nearby store that shows Luerkens, 32, stabbing Donald multiple times with a large knife and killing her in the parking lot.

The attack also was witnessed by others in the area.

Family members previously said Donald's 7-year-old son Ashton, was one of the witnesses to the fatal stabbing, but that information wasn't included in the complaint.

Marion investigators say Donald and Luerkens once lived together but she had moved out months ago. Donald's relatives described him as a former boyfriend.

Luerkens was arrested once he was released from the hospital and was formally charged with first-degree murder Monday. He remains in the Linn County Jail on a $1 million cash bond.

David Grinde, Linn County assistant public defender, said Tuesday he was representing Luerkens but declined to comment about the case.

Luerkens was on suicide watch earlier this week, which is standard policy, at least initially, for any jail inmate facing a possible life sentence.

Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner said Thursday that Luerkens remains under suicide watch.