Investigation continues in death.......

LINK, CRUTCHER, LADE

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 12/23/2021 at 19:00:41

LEADER-RECORD Thursday, April 19,
Volume 8, Issue No. 16

Investigation continues in death of Farmington woman and her son.

Investigation continues by three law enforcement offices into the deaths of a mother and son.

In the latest development in the case, the body of Sarah Link, 41, of Farmington was found Monday afternoon in a rural wooded area by a farmer. The body was identified by a son, James Hook, of Ottumwa. An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday by the State Medical Examiner, Dr. Tom Bennett in Des Moines.

Her body was found about 12:30 p.m. by William Hancock of Ottumwa, who was checking his farm soil when his dog started acting as if he saw something. Hancock said it appeared the body had been there for a couple days.

Hook's brother James, 18, was held by Wapello County authorities as a material witness but was released Monday night. Tom Rulow, director of the DCI, and James was not considered a suspect.

Van Buren County Sheriff Marvin Story said Tuesday morning that at this time cause of death is unknown but it is believed to be a homicide.

Mrs. Link's son, Justin Alfred Hook, Jr., 20, was found dead in the driveway near his trailer near Drakesville, in Davis County, at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Hook's trailer was destroyed by fire Thursday night. Firemen did not see the body. No one was inside the trailer at the time of the fire. No weapon was found at the scene and there were no foot prints or tire foot prints or tire marks around the body. An autopsy by Bennett revealed no smoke in Hook's lungs and officers report the death was not fire related. It was not known how long Hook had been dead when the body was found. Bennett reported that Hook died of clubbing blows on the head and neck.

Mrs. Link had not been seen since Thursday at 10 p.m. Her husband Rex Link discovered she was missing when he came home from work at the Sheaffer-Eaton plant in Fort Madison Friday morning. There was no evidence of a break-in at the house. The Links have been residents of Farmington for about two years. Mrs. Link had one son at home, John Crutcher, 12.

Van Buren County Sheriff Marvin Story said Tuesday morning that they still don't know what connection there is between the two deaths.

Authorities are now looking for Tina Lade, 19, of Ottumwa, who was Justin Hook's girl friend. She has been missing since April 11.

The case is being investigated by the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, the Davis County Sheriff's office and the Van Buren County Sheriff's office.

Source: "Scrapbook 1981 - 1985", Pg. 181,
Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, Van Buren Co., IA
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**Handwritten: VB Reg

Two Homicides Discovered Authorities Searching

Two homicides in southeast Iowa over the weekend and the possibility of a third have left law enforcement officers stunned and puzzled.

The first murder was discovered Friday afternoon when the body of Justin Hook, Jr., 20, was found near his mobile home near Drakesville. The mobile home and burned the night before.

Shortly after Hook's body was discovered, a report came from Farmington that his mother, Sarah Link, was missing. Her body was found Monday seven miles southeast of Ottumwa a wooded area.

Now authorities are searching for Tina Lade, 19, of Ottumwa, Justin Hook's girl friend who has been missing since the night of April 11.

Both Hook and Link were killed from blows to the head. An autopsy was performed on Link in Des Moines Tuesday morning.

Link and her husband Rex had lived in Farmington for about wo years. Both were employed by Schaefer Pen in Fort Madison, but Sarah Link had been temporarily laid off.

Van Buren County Sheriff Marvin Story, Davis County Sheriff Ray Dykes and a special agent of the Division of Criminal Investigation spent Monday in Farmington attempting to determine Link's whereabouts.

Her body was found about 12:30 p.m. William Hancock of Ottumwa, who was checking his farm soil when his dog started acting as if he saw something. Hancock said it appeared the body had been there for a couple of days.

Hook's brother James, 18, was held at Wapello County authorities as a material witness but was released Monday night, Tom Rulow, director of the DCI, said James was not considered a suspect.

Source: "Scrapbook 1981 - 1985", Pg. 182,
Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, Van Buren Co., IA