Corder Murder Weapon

CORDER

Posted By: Anne Hermann (email)
Date: 4/8/2009 at 23:16:20

Maquoketa Sentinel-Press
April 4, 1987

Officials believe hunting knife was Corder slaying weapon
By Jean Hindman

A hunting knife is believe to be the weapon used in last week’s fatal stabbing of Marsha Corder of Maquoketa, authorities said.

Other than the disclosure about the knife, little new information surfaced publicly this week as investigators continued to probe the March 25, slaying. Despite rumors that circulated locally this week that an arrest was imminent, investigators refused to comment on possible suspects or how close they may be to an arrest.

“A knife found near the scene and believed to be the murder weapon was sent in for testing to determine whether it was or wasn’t the weapon.” Jackson County Sheriff Bob Lyons said Thursday, April 2.

Lyons said the knife was found shortly after the murder and fire Wednesday night, March 25, at the Corder house on Pershing Road north of Maquoketa.

He declined to describe the knife or provide further information about it.
Eugene Meyer, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, which is proving the slaying, said Thursday from his Des Moines office, “several pieces of evidence are being analyzed in the lab, and the investigation will continue.” He declined to elaborate.

Officials have obtained several search warrants to investigate leads and seek further evidence in the case, according to DCI investigator Ron Makin.

Investigators declined to provide information about the search warrants. A clerk in the Jackson County Magistrate Court said the search warrants have been ordered sealed.

Lyons said no arrests have been made and names of any possible suspects are not being released.

“We have no arrest time in mind right now. We have leads to cover and lab reports to investigate.” Makin added.

Maquoketa police and firefighters were called at 11:30 p.m. March 25 to the Corder home to put out a fire and investigate a possible murder.

Firefighters found the body of the 37 year old Maquoketa business woman lying on the living room floor of the burning home. An autopsy, performed the next day in Des Moines by Dr. Thomas Bennett, state medical examiner, showed that Corder suffered multiple stab wounds to the upper body. The fatal wounds were inflicted in the chest, Bennett said.

Dr. Paul Koob, Jackson County medical examiner who assisted Bennett has said Corder died before the fire started.

The fire was ruled as arson, officials said.

James Corder, 16-year-old stepson of Mrs. Corder, escaped from the burning home via an upstairs window and ran next door to the home of Marsha’s father, Everett Nowachek, to report the fire.

Nowachek’s girlfriend, Linda LaSasso, summoned police and firefighters to the Corder house.

Ray Corder, the victim’s husband, was at work at Caterpillar Tractor Co., in Mount Joy when the slaying and fire occurred.

The fire caused extensive damage to the interior of the wood frame house, but was extinguished before it reached the exterior.

The Corder's owned and operated the Sears Catalog Merchant store in downtown Maquoketa. The store will remain closed at least through Saturday, April 4, No re-opening date had been announced by noon Friday.

Ray Corder offers $10,000 reward

While law enforcement officials continued to search for evidence in the Marsha Corder slaying, rewards totaling $11,000 were posted this week for information, including one reward offered by Corder’s husband.

Ray Corder offered a reward of up to $10,000 for previously unknown information given to law enforcement authorities that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the slaying.

In addition, the Jackson County Crime Stoppers organization this week included the slaying among crimes for which it is seeking information. The county Crime Stoppers board pays up to $1,000 for information that will help solve the crime.

Both rewards promise anonymity to the person furnishing information.

Corder asked that persons with information contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department Crime Stoppers callers were asked to call the separate Crime Stoppers telephone number of 652-2212.