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

[SuziQ]

If robbery was the motive, then why not do this while they were away from their home? They seem like they were very social people who were away from home alot.

Why kill them execution style?

 

[KaylynnCouture]

If robbery was the motive, then why not do this while they were away from their home? They seem like they were very social people who were away from home alot.

Why kill them execution style?

Yep, I don't understand that either. I don't think it was a robbery motive. I really think this is going to be about that large amount of money they were getting ready to inherit, and who would be next in line to get it if they were killed.

 

[SuziQ]

Indian Artifacts Connection?

I’ve been following three cases total this week that two of which have an Indian artifact connection. Donnie Luetjen was a well known collector with a rumored collection valued at 1 Million. With the aid of a “Source”, the Feds made a huge stolen artifacts bust this week in Southern Utah. This investigation was done with the help of a “Source” who wore a wire etc for two years. It’s occurred to me that Donnie may have been that source or somehow involved in these recent events. That could be the motive IMO. The third case is a mysterious box of bones that turned up in a field in Springville, Utah. The bones may be those of an illegally excavated Native American or even a new death. If these turn out to be Native American bones, it could be someone got wind of charges coming down and did not want to get caught with them.

I found the timing in these cases interesting and thought I’d throw all of this out there to see what you all thought.

Below is a timeline of events and articles attached.

June 7th or 8th The Luetjen’s are murdered execution style.
http://www.kspr.com/news/local/47964541.html

(snip)
At the first news conference Thursday they said the Luetjens each died of a gunshot wound, but there are no suspects and no motives- officially.

Eickhoff recalls, “I do know he had a lot of valuable things in his home."

Friends and neighbors have a bit more to tell.

They say Donnie Luetjen had an Indian artifact collection possibly worth a million dollars in his home.

June 8th, A Federal judge signs support for search warrant
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site297/2009/0610/20090610_024033_artifact_affidavit_061009.pdf

June 9th Box of bones discovered in Springville.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85113

June 10th, Indictment handed down and arrests are made.
FBI charges 24 in American Indian artifact looting case
Feds: Southern Utah history stolen from the Four Corners area.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12561194

For two years, someone close to a large network of archaeological looters in southeastern Utah was wired with an audio-visual recorder when buying ancient baby blankets, stone pipes, seed jars, digging sticks, pots, even a pre-Columbian menstrual pad.
This "Source," as he or she is identified in a search warrant affidavit unsealed Wednesday, is an insider who worked with U.S. Bureau of Land Management and FBI special agents to nab two dozen suspects in the theft and sale of more than 250 American Indian artifacts from the Four Corners area. (more at link)

June 11th, Artifact theft suspect and prominent Southern Utah physician James Redd commits suicide.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12572033

Anger and fear generated by federal charges of artifact looting in the vast deserts of southeastern Utah merged with sorrow Thursday when James Redd - a 60-year-old physician and defendant in the case - was found dead on his Blanding property. (more at link)

 

[Kathee]

KSPR got permission from the family to videotape the funeral.

RAW VIDEO PART 1: Hundreds Honor Murdered Cole Camp Family Video

RAW VIDEO PART 2: Hundreds Honor Murdered Cole Camp Family Video

RAW VIDEO PART 3: Hundreds Honor Murdered Cole Camp Family Video

RAW VIDEO PART 4: Hundreds Honor Murdered Cole Camp Family Video

 

[Reannan]

Gosh SuziQ....if your connection isn't part of this puzzle, it is another great example of why WS's has more interesting information than any Hollywood movie. Those connections are too much of a coincidence to not be connected. Anyone in Missouri with an artifact collection worth over $1 million dollars would probably have a lot of connections to Utah, and other heavily American Indian populated areas of the US.

 

[SuziQ]

Gosh SuziQ....if your connection isn't part of this puzzle, it is another great example of why WS's has more interesting information than any Hollywood movie. Those connections are too much of a coincidence to not be connected. Anyone in Missouri with an artifact collection worth over $1 million dollars would probably have a lot of connections to Utah, and other heavily American Indian populated areas of the US.

It was weird. I hadn't heard or read about Indian artifacts for years, maybe a decade. Then all of a sudden within a week, it's a theme in three cases.

The one thing that throws the connection out is I haven't heard of the Feds being involved with the Cole Camp investigation. You'd think if their star witness or someone somehow involved, was gunned down, they'd be working with local authorities. Then again, how many times have we heard that the left hand isn't talking to the right hand?

Another thing to note about the case in Utah. While the suspects are charged with the theft of $335,000. worth of artifacts, they are actually going to lose millions of dollars of the stuff they are not allowed to own. They have so much they rent buildings and storage units. The Feds will give it all back to the tribes and they wil rebury it.

Also in a 2008 Federal report on stolen artifacts in the West. There is an interesting, unexplained statement that Meth dealing is involved.

 

[Le Singe]

Sounds to me like some type pf robbery motivated crime. I would think the binding is a sign that whom ever did this needed the victims alive for something i.e. location of valuables, combination to safe, pin number, maybe even was planning to take one of them to the bank to make a withdrawl.

I would guess it is someone who lives in the area, or is related, that heard about them having money or things of value. I would guess that its probibly some shady late teens and/or 20 somethings types and it being rural missouri meth may well be involved. It would not suprizes me if it was a couple of knuckle heads running low on money that had been up for days[on meth] and some one brought up "...I heard so and so has such and such" and they got one of those brilliant meth+awake for days ideas......

very tragic....only slight plus to this would be that it should not be to hard to catch them. These type of ppl are out of their minds ie not very careful, love to run their mouths, and live in a world full of people who are constantly getting in trouble with the law and who are more than willing to sell their own mothers out for a reduced sentance

Note: this is 100% speculation on my part just one possible theory.

 

[nursebeeme]

was anything stolen from the family collection?

 

[nursebeeme]

who stood to inherit the family collection?

 

[Kathee]

A week after a family was found gunned down in their Benton County home the question on almost everyones mind in Cole Camp and neighboring communities is who killed Donnie, Sharon and Taron Luetjen?



http://crimesceneinvestigations.blogspot.com/2009/06/who-killed-luetjens.html

 

[SuziQ]

was anything stolen from the family collection?

LE won't say if anything was taken, but they do say they haven't ruled out robbery.

I too, would like to know who was next on the inheritance list.

 

[Lindadanette]

Hi - I found an interesting blog about this case - written by someone who knew the family:

http://christao408.xanga.com/704254498/small-town-triple-homicide/
Snipped ~

Great-grandma Tess' house was the oldest house in town (picture about half way down this web page), the only house on a city block's worth of property that would have been large enough for another half-dozen houses, except for one other house. The other house belonged to Donnie and Sharon Luetjen, a couple about the age of my parents who had a son and a daughter, Terry a little older than me and Debbie about my age.

Snipped~

When Terry's first born was just a month old, she was orphaned when her father was killed. Debbie and Terry's parents took custody of their granddaughter, raising her as their own. They were good people, hard working and always looked out for my grandparents and their property, especially after my grandfather passed away in 1986 and my grandmother didn't go down to Cole Camp nearly as often.

Snipped ~

Yesterday my mother sent an email to me and my sister: my uncle had heard on the news about a triple homicide in Cole Camp. Donnie and Sharon and their 15-year old granddaughter were reportedly stabbed to death. Police believe it was a robbery (Donnie's collection of antique Indian arrowheads and other items was well-known about town) gone bad, as all of the artifacts and Donnie's collection of guns were gone.

So - the early report of "stabbing" was wrong, but it's interesting to note that the locals seem to know the artifacts were stolen. I'm still leaning towards a young relative with a bad habit.

 

[SuziQ]

Proof that the artifacts investigation is moving across the US and not so far removed from Missouri.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=6876078

(snip)
Another suspect arrested in what authorities alleged was an illegal network of dealers in stolen artifacts has killed himself.

The FBI said Friday that Stephen L. Shrader, 56, shot himself in Shabbona, Ill. It happened the same day he was due in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. Shrader was one of 24 defendants in the roundup of accused artifact thieves in the Four Corners area. However, his home was not one of those raided by federal agents. He surrendered to FBI agents in New Mexico last week.

 

[SuziQ]

Authorities in Mo. keeping tight lid on Cole Camp triple murder probe

http://www.bnd.com/336/story/815428.html

 

[justthinkin]

For some reason this case sure reminds me of Terry and Darleen Anderson murders in Indiana which were likely carried out by drug dealers probably known by their young adult daughter. Terry Anderson was known to have about 7-8,000 in cash on him as he was about to buy a boat.

Ugh, I hate to see this case handled by an agency inexperienced in handling a murder case.

 

[Kathee]

Has a small Missouri town lost it's innocence following the murders of three people in Cole Camp?

In the history of the small Benton County town their had never been a single murder in Cole Camp, now law enforcers are conducting a triple homicide investigation.



http://crimesceneinvestigations.blogspot.com/2009/06/is-this-is-end-of-cole-camps-innocence.html

 

[Jack]

Ugh, I hate to see this case handled by an agency inexperienced in handling a murder case.

I used to drive through Colecamp occasionally on my way to other places. Each and every time I drove through there was one cop car parked in the same place, always. After years of seeing the car in the same street corner I noticed that it sat there for at least another year with a flat tire. I had to wonder if they even had a police department. I haven't been through there for years now. I'd be curious to know if the lone cop car still sits on the street corner.

 

[Kathee]

We are finally getting a glimpse into what cops are looking at and what they need help with as the investigation into the murders of three Cole Camp residents continues.



http://crimesceneinvestigations.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-details-emerge-in-cole-camp-murders.html

 

[dgfred]

I am not able to pull up that link .

 

[dgfred]

OK, I got it. Looking for information on a white pickup, a guy in a white hoody and some other men supposidly that had talked to D.