HARNED, Suzanne (Decker) 1955-2003

HARNED, OLSEN, DECKER, DENEUI, JOHNSON

Posted By: K.L. Kittleson
Date: 2/26/2013 at 17:38:09

Richard & Suzanne Harned

#1:

Richard Harned, 52, and Suzanne Harned, 48, died Wednesday, September 3, 2003, at their home in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Richard was born December 12, 1950 in Cedar Falls, the son of Lynn B. and Marjorie E. (Olsen) Harned.

Suzanne was born March 9, 1955 in Cedar Falls, the daughter of Donald W. and Lenora (DeNeui) Decker. They were married April 20, 1989 in Cedar Falls.

Richard was a patrolman for the Waterloo Police Department for 30 years. Suzanne worked for many years as a dispatcher for the city of Waterloo. More recently, she worked for Home Health Care.

Richard is survived by his parents, Lynn and Marjorie Harned of Cedar Falls.

Suzanne is survived by her parents, Donald and Lenora Decker of Cedar Falls; they are both survived by their daughter, Hailey of Cedar Falls; Suzanne’s two children from a previous marriage, Danelle and Ryan; Richard’s sister, Claudia (Alex) Hovden of Cedar Falls; and Suzanne’s brothers, Steven M. (Becky) Decker of New Hartford, Iowa and Jeffrey John Decker of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Suzanne was preceded in death by a brother, Darrell Decker.

Funeral services were 10:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, 2003, at Nazareth Lutheran Church, with burial in Greenwood Cemetery, both in Cedar Falls. The family requests memorial donations to the Waterloo Police Protection Association, Hartman Reserve, or St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls.

[Source: Dahl-Van Hove-Schoof Funeral Home]
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#2:

Officer and wife laid to rest

CEDAR FALLS - Richard and Suzanne Harned's lives were two parallel streams flowing smoothly and in favor of God before the flow was interrupted by gunfire, their pastor told a packed church during the couple's funeral Monday.

Police officers, sheriffs' deputies, state troopers and federal agents from across Iowa streamed into Nazareth Evangelical Lutheran Church to pay their respects to Waterloo Officer Richard Harned and his wife, Suzanne, a former emergency dispatcher.

Almost the entire Waterloo Police Department was on hand for the funeral and ceremonies that followed at Greenwood Cemetery.

They were joined by the Harneds' friends and family and hundreds of officers from local, state and federal agencies.

Richard Harned, 52, was a 30-year veteran of the police department. His wife, 48, had been an emergency dispatcher for 16 years and recently worked as a home health nurse.

They were shot to death in their Cedar Falls home Wednesday night. Suzanne Harned's son from a previous marriage, 26-year-old Ryan Eric Johnson, has been arrested for two counts of murder.

The Rev. Lawrence Stumme of St. Paul's Lutheran Church said Suzanne Harned's passion for gardening was a lesson in the fragile and delicate nature of life.

"Few things in all of creation display beauty like a delicate flower," Stumme said. "Some flowers only last a few hours, and yet their beauty is not lessened by their short life. None of the flowers are going to live forever. Their momentary life only adds to their beauty, adds to their splendor."

The Harneds worshipped at St. Paul's, but the services were moved to the larger facility at Nazareth to accommodate the immense turnout.

The hymn "In the Garden" was chosen for the service in honor of Suzanne Harned, and "On Eagle's Wings" was sung for Richard Harned who was a licensed pilot and collected model aircraft.

Suzanne Harned's granddaughter, Hailey, who the couple adopted as their own, chose a third hymn.

The pastor said it was futile to waste time with hate in connection with their deaths.

"Vengeance is mine, said the Lord. The killer must face his maker," he said.

Riderless on the back of a trailer, Richard Harned's patrol motorcycle was part of the procession of squad cars that left the church for the cemetery.

As the two were laid to rest, Waterloo Police Department's honor guard fired off a 21-gun salute and presented survivors with the American flags that draped their caskets.

Waterloo officers Willie Washington, Willie Keller, Carroll Kienol, Ann Meyer, Rex Eyestone and Mike Perigo served as pallbearer for Richard Harned. Firefighters Steve Grimm, Tom Powers, Roger Carr, Jim Schneider, Dave Boesen and Dean Smock carried Suzanne Harned's coffin.

Black Hawk County deputies, Iowa State Patrol troopers and the state Division of Criminal Investigation detectives handled calls for service in Waterloo during the funeral.

[Waterloo Courier, Tuesday, September 09, 2003]
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#3:

Richard and Suzanne Harned
Died in Their Home

According to court records, Suzanne Harned hadn't seen her son for about three years prior to the night of the crime on September 3, 2003.

Black Hawk County Attorney Thomas Ferguson said evidence showed Johnson arrived unannounced at the Harned's Cedar Falls home, was invited in, and everything appeared to be going cordially. After a few minutes, he said, Richard Harned invited Johnson into the basement, apparently so he could show Johnson his pinball machine.

Not long after that, Richard was shot in the back of the head. Suzanne Harned apparently heard the shot and was shot herself as she stood at the top of the basement stairs.

[ Waterloo Courier http://wcfcourier.com/ ]
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#4:

Federal Judge Denies Appeal
of Cedar Falls Man
Convicted of Murder

WATERLOO (AP) - A federal judge has denied an appeals request from a Cedar Falls man convicted of killing his stepfather in 2003.

Ryan Eric Johnson filed a motion earlier this month trying to overturn his guilty plea. Judge Linda Reade has dismissed the request, saying he has not exhausted efforts to challenge the conviction at the state level.

Johnson is serving life in prison for killing Richard Harned, a Waterloo police officer, in Harned's home September 3, 2003. Police say Johnson then killed his own mother, Suzanne Harned.

Johnson was originally charged with two counts of first-degree murder, though one of those counts was dismissed in a plea deal in which Johnson only admitted killing his stepfather.

Prosecutors say Johnson agreed not to appeal as part of the plea bargain. However, Johnson has argued he did not understand the consequences of the plea.

A state court judge earlier denied his appeal because he had waived that right.

[ KCRG-TV9, Cedar Rapids, Iowa http://www.kcrg.com/news/ ]