OSKALOOSA, IOWA – An Iowa man is behind bars, accused of stabbing a college basketball player to death.
On March 14, 2018, members of the Oskaloosa Police Department arrested Luke VanHemert, age 23 of 603 North 3rd Street, in Oskaloosa, Iowa. VanHemert was charged with one count of Murder in the Second Degree. VanHemert is currently being held in the Mahaska County Jail. VanHemert was taken into custody without incident at his place of employment in Pella, Iowa. VanHemert is being held on $500,000 cash only.
The Office of the Iowa State Medical Examiner has ruled the cause of death as a stab wound of the chest and the manner of death a homicide.
Police say this is an ongoing investigation being worked jointly by the Oskaloosa Police Department, Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
The arrest comes after an incident on March 1, 2018. At approximately 10:50 PM that day, the Mahaska County Law Enforcement Center received a 911 call in reference to a fight that was occurring at 603 North 3rd Street in Oskaloosa, reportedly sparked by a minor traffic accident. Upon arriving to the area, Oskaloosa Police Officers found a male needing medical attention at 315 A Avenue East at the Jiffy Mart gas station. The male, later identified as William Penn basketball player Marquis Todd, age 22 of Woodridge, Illinois, was transported to the local hospital. Todd was treated for a stab wound and later died from the injury.
LUKE VANHEMERT:
