GUILTY MO - Donnie, 64, Sharon, 61, & Taron Luetjen, 15, slain, Camp Cole, 7 June 2009

[Kathee]

Benton County, Missouri authorities and investigators with the Missouri Highway Patrol are in the early stages of a death investigation in Cole Camp.

Authorities say that a neighbor called police about 11:30 a.m. today (06-09-09) when she became concerened that she had not seen or heard from her neighbor's in a couple of days.


Sources say the dead are, 15 year-old Taron Dion Luetjen, whose mother lives in Buffalo. Taron was found dead near her grandparents, Donnie and Sharon Luetjen, who had custody of the teen and who had recently come into a substantial amount of money.

Authorities believe the Luetjen's may have been killed on Sunday or Monday.


http://crimesceneinvestigations.blogspot.com/2009/06/happening-now-benton-county-authorities.html

 

[SuziQ]

So who would inherit the money?

This sounds like an execution.

http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-triple-homicide-cole-camp-6909,0,1774067.story

(snip)
Luetjen was found dead at her grandparents' side. Donnie and Sharon Luetjen had custody of the teen. Her father died when she was just one-month-old.

The girl's aunt said her sister, the girl's mother, was at work at the time of the murders. The mother lives in Buffalo, Missouri.

 

[SuziQ]

I won't post the links at the moment, but a quick google reveals the grandparents lost an aunt and stepfather in the past couple of month's.

 

[Beyond Belief]

i wonder if this sum of money was inherited or from some sort of a lawsuit. at age 15 that would an odd age to be getting a large sum of money its usually held in trust until the minor reaches 18.

 

[SuziQ]

i wonder if this sum of money was inherited or from some sort of a lawsuit. at age 15 that would an odd age to be getting a large sum of money its usually held in trust until the minor reaches 18.

At first I read that the way you did. But it appears to read they had custody of the teen and had inherited a large sum of money. I could be wrong though.

Taron was found dead near her grandparents, Donnie and Sharon Luetjen, who had custody of the teen and who had recently come into a substantial amount of money.

 

[SuziQ]

http://www.kctv5.com/news/19708356/detail.html

(snip)
Meyer said investigators haven't released details about how the teen and her grandparents died, but said investigators reported "suspicious circumstances" surrounding the deaths.

Sources have told KCTV5 News that the three were bound and shot.

 

[SuziQ]

From Googling I've found this family was very involved in their church and community. Their grandaughter was a talented singer involved with choirs and competed in contests. She also received many academic awards. They definitely did not live a high risk lifestyle. LE states they probably died on Sunday or Monday. I wonder if they were at church Sunday. Surely someone would have missed them if they weren't.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I say follow the money trail.

Who would benefit the most by having these three people dead.

imo

 

[KaylynnCouture]

So sad

I wonder why the mother didn't have custody.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

It sounds as if these grandparent's were paternal, no? It's likely Taron stood to inherit money in the case of their demise.

Where is the mom? Would she now be considered Taron's next of kin? What type of relationship was there between mother and daughter? Hmmmm!

So few answers at this point. This is shocking and sad!

 

[gaia227]

Thanks for posting Kathee! Being from Missouri I am always interested in cases in the area.
My first thought was a murder/suicide but that changed when SuziQ posted they were bound.

I read in the comments of one of the articles that Taron's mother had not been in contact with her daughter for about 10 years.

 

[Kathee]

The suspicious death investigation that began yesterday in Benton County, Missouri has now turned into a triple homicide investigation.

When cops entered the residence about 5:15 they discovered 15 year-old Taron Luetjen (b.), and her grandparents Sharon Luetjen, 61, and Donnie Luetjen, 64, bound and lined up next to each other.....shot.

http://crimesceneinvestigations.blogspot.com/2009/06/suspicious-death-investigation-turns.html

 

[colette]

OBE, "Follow the money" sounds reasonable in this case. If the mother hasn't seen the girl in 10 years, she isn't bonded to her. She was at work during the murders, but there are ways to pay someone to do murder or a "significant other " who could do a crime and share in the benefits of inheritance. Opinion only.. the mother may be a total innocent person.

 

[Kathee]

Here's my take on the "mother was at work at the time the murders took place."

How does the aunt know when the murders occured, especially if they happened on Sunday or Monday and they weren't found until yesterday?

Just my reporter mind workin'.

 

[colette]

I was thinking that the girl was raised by maternal grandparents but her father died when she was an infant and she was raised by his parents. Her mother most likely had nothing to do with this. Still follow the money. These murders were so coldblooded... to line them up and shoot them was just heartless. Someone needed for them to be dead, most likely for money.

 

[colette]

Here's my take on the "mother was at work at the time the murders took place."

How does the aunt know when the murders occured, especially if they happened on Sunday or Monday and they weren't found until yesterday?

Just my reporter mind workin'.

I know what you mean, I was wondering that too after I read the crimes might have been on Sunday or Monday. Maybe the Aunt thought the murders took place on Monday when she made that statement. But It does make me wonder why she said that at all...it makes her sister look guilty when someone feels the need to give her an alibi.

 

[SuziQ]

I don't understand why it took five hours to get a search warrant. I would think three dead bodies would be a priority and all the probably cause you need.

 

[MissieMt]

I think they got the warrant first, then discovered the bodies

When police arrived at the crime scene on Elm Street they say "suspicious circumstances" prompted them ask the court for a search warrant for the property. That warrant was granted about 5:00 yesterday evening.

When cops entered the residence about 5:15 they discovered 15 year-old Taron Luetjen (b.), and her grandparents Sharon Luetjen, 61, and Donnie Luetjen, 64, bound and lined up next to each other.....shot.

 

[MissieMt]

My theory on the Aunt knowing approx. when the murders occurred is that she was told by LE. Keep in mind that the writer isn't going to put in the story that they asked her where her sister was at the time that the family was murdered.

 

[SuziQ]

Murdered Teen's Mother: "I'm Assuming She Knew I Loved Her"

http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-tarons-mother-speaks-cole-camp-61009,0,3870205.story