Gretchen Crooks 13yo Son Looked Up Matricide, Allegedly Kills Mom Using Hunting Rifle

[Whisper]

Gretchen Crooks

A 13-year-old Iowa boy is accused of killing his mother by firing multiple rounds from a .22 caliber hunting rifle into her chest.

"It's a damn tragedy, you know. These are good people," Mitchell County Sheriff Curt Younker told The Huffington Post.

Authorities announced Wednesday morning that the boy is charged with murder and will be tried in juvenile court.

Police say that 37-year-old Gretchen Crooks died from her wounds on Saturday in what is believed to be the first homicide in Mitchell County in over 100 years.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the Crooks family's rural Osage home at approximately 7:31 p.m. when authorities received a 911 call from the young accused shooter. Sheriff Younger told the Des Moines Register that the boy was "calm and stoic" during the phone call, which is currently being held as evidence.

Investigators are uncertain why the boy would shoot his mother. There is no record of domestic disputes at the home and teachers say the boy showed no warning signs at Osage Middle School.

“We’re at a loss,” Younger told the Register. “It is the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever seen.”
Earlier this week the authorities took the boy to North Iowa Juvenile Detention Center in Waterloo.

[...]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...html?ref=crime


Iowa police hunt for motive after 13-year-old boy allegedly shoots mother to death

Eighth-grader called police after shooting mom several times with hunting rifle; killing is county's first murder in 100 years

[...]
Investigators in northern Iowa are dumbfounded about what drove a 13-year-old boy to allegedly murder his mother over the weekend by shooting her several times with a hunting rifle.

Mitchell County homicide detectives said eighth-grader Noah Crooks sounded numb and detached when he called police on Saturday night to report that he had shot his mom, Gretchen Crooks, 37.

"[It’s almost like he was in shock also," Deputy Greg Beaver told local TV station KTTC.

Four days later, cops haven't any clue about what caused the boy to snap.

There was no record of domestic violence at the house — police had never visited the address — and Noah wasn't a troublemaker at Osage Middle School, according to local reports.

Investigators said it was the county's first murder in 114 years.

"We're at a loss," Mitchell County Sheriff Curt Younker told the Des Moines Register. "These are good people, very responsible. It is the most heartbreaking thing I've ever seen."

Gretchen Crooks, a nurse at Mercy Medical Center-North in Mason City who was studying for a master's at the University of Iowa, had gushed about her happy home life in posts on Facebook.

"Great day at work followed by grilled steak, twice baked potatoes, and a glass of wine courtesy of my wonderful husband oh did I mention the sax being played by Noah! Love my life," Crooks wrote in a 2010 post.

Another update boasted that Noah would be studying Chinese for two weeks during a summer camp at Iowa.

Crooks mother, Beverly Brahm, told the Mason City Globe Gazette that Gretchen and her husband, William, were loving parents to two boys.

"We have lost our daughter. We have lost our grandson," Brahm said.

Police have not said where William Crooks or the other son were at the time of the shooting.

Noah is in custody at the North Iowa Juvenile Detention Center in Waterloo, but has not been charged.

Prosecutors said it was likely he would be charged as a juvenile according to Iowa law, which says someone must be at least 14 to be charged as an adult.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...#ixzz1qT0LVLGI

Her Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/gretchencrooks

[CbabyRKO]

Lucky fucking bastard. Just one more year and he could have been charged as an adult. I wonder if he looked that up as well. It was obviously a premeditated crime at least it looks that way. I mean who looks up matricide only to go and shoot their mom. I'm not one for charging kids as adults but if anyone deserved it this boy does.

[Johnn0483]

I could be wrong but I think there is more to this story. It's hard for me to believe that any 13 year old from a seemingly normal family would kill for no reason.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

An Osage 13-year-old accused of murdering his mother also faces a charge that he assaulted her and attempted to sexually abuse her — an offense considered “completely out of the norm” by mental health professionals.

Mitchell County authorities allege Noah Riley Crooks shot and killed his mother, Gretchen Crooks, 37, with a .22-caliber rifle in the family’s rural Osage home Saturday. Charges filed Wednesday in Mitchell County District Court further accuse Noah Crooks, an eighth-grader at Osage Middle School, of assault with attempted sexual abuse against his mother.

“The victims in most sex offenses committed by juveniles are siblings, other juveniles or, and this is rare … adults,” said Sheila Aukes, a Des Moines licensed social worker who works with young people on a variety of mental health issues. “A child or adolescent sexually abusing a parent is completely out of the norm, totally unheard of.”

Mitchell County Attorney Mark Walk and Mitchell County Sheriff Curt Younker both declined to comment on what evidence led authorities to add the attempted sexual assault charge, citing the ongoing criminal investigation.
[...]

Noah Crooks will be tried under Iowa’s youthful offender law, a 1997 law that increases penalties for minors accused of heinous crimes. If convicted of murder, a Class A felony punishable by a mandatory life prison sentence, Noah Crooks could face extra penalties as an adult even if convicted as a juvenile.

However, just how far the penalties allowed by the juvenile offenders statute could go — including continued incarceration after turning 18 — is unclear.
[...]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/art...5/1056/NEWS09/

[TKaz]

I'm reading this book right now, "Limitless You"....and this story seems like a good time to share it.
Basically the idea is bad things like THIS happen because of an unbalanced brain & how our mind does or does not respond. I won't go in to it but damn, I beleive it & I WISH there was a way to explain this theory to the masses so kids could get a chance when it's obvious they're beginning on the path of murder.
This kid doing this is exactly what the author was talking about & it makes a load of sense to me.

[colliefreak]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/art...5/1056/NEWS09/

Holy shit!!!

[Ninja0980]

This is one of those times where I wish the kid could be waived up to adult court. This doesn't sound like an abused kid who snapped. This sounds like someone who is well on his way to becoming a serial killer.

[AngelFire]

First thing this bitch gonna do when she gets home is look up all the history on my pc. If I find that my kids have been googling matricide, I am moving in the middle of the night and leaving them behind.

[Whisper]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/art...5/1056/NEWS09/

theres also pics on her FB of him I was gonna post then couldnt decide if I was going to or not
But there are family pics on there and he looks like a tiny little guy

[Dakota Valkyrie]

theres also pics on her FB of him I was gonna post then couldnt decide if I was going to or not
But there are family pics on there and he looks like a tiny little guy

Thats one a media outlet was using.

[Whisper]

Thats one a media outlet was using.

yeah the one on FB hes a tiny looking guy



actually its on his FB I got his off of hers
http://www.facebook.com/gretchencroo...00001357323007

he looks like a baby
thats weird says her name but its his FB she mustve monitored it and had final approval on friends and stuff I guess

[Chinchillazilla]

Whoa. I just... What the fuck?

[Silvahalo]

Just read about this. Horrifying.
I looked at her facebook and her husbands....they seemed happy. I didn't really see pictures of her kids, might be inaccessible now.

Experts are calling this "out of the norm" for human behavior. Some comfort in reading that. On the top of the list of a parents worse nightmares, other than losing their child, this has got to be one of the top five. Perhaps Noah was born wired that one day it would all go wrong. A terrifying thought really. I can't imagine the numbing shock family and friends must be going through. My prayers and heart are with them.

Rest in peace Gretchen Crooks

[Ninja0980]

SAd to say but this sounds to me like a case where no matter how loving the parent(s) are,their kid is simply a bad seed. Sexually abusing your mother's corpse after murdering her in cold blood is as bad and evil as it gets.

[sugarfree irony]

None of the articles mention drug use . But I keep hoping maybe he was high on bath salts it is easier to think that than that he just snapped .

[Chinchillazilla]

My mom's a defense attorney. She had a client a few years ago who was accused of raping his mother. He was an adult man. That was the first time I'd ever heard of such a thing. In his case, it wasn't really as black-and-white as you might think; his mother had sexually abused him all through his childhood and they had just sort of... continued their relationship after he grew up. There was a major question of whether what had happened in that particular incident was rape or consensual.

And I guess I'm judging this book by its cover, but I am really not feeling sexual abuse on Gretchen Crooks's part.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Noah Crooks, the 13-year-old rural Osage boy accused of his mother’s murder, is asking through his attorneys that testimony given during a psychiatric evaluation be suppressed at an upcoming hearing.

Crooks cited his Fifth Amendment rights, which protect accused persons from self-incrimination.

Specifically, he is asking that information or testimony given during a psychiatric evaluation conducted by state witness Dr. Michael Taylor be suppressed.
[...]

Crooks is accused of murdering his mother, Gretchen, 37, on March 24 in the family’s rural Osage home. Gretchen Crooks died of gunshot wounds.

He is also accused of serious assault with the intent to commit sexual abuse.

The state, represented by Mitchell County Attorney Mark Walk, is seeking to have Crooks tried in adult court by having his status changed from juvenile to youthful offender. A hearing on the request has been continued. No new date has been set.

If the allegations are adjudicated in juvenile court, he could potentially be released at age 18.

If his status is changed to youthful offender, he would be tried in Mitchell County District Court and could serve prison time after the age of 18.

http://globegazette.com/news/local/c...a4bcf887a.html

[LeaveMeBe]

I am more curious than usual to find out all about this case. I hope they change the status to youthful offender so the details can be shared. For some reason, this story grabbed me in the gut and won't let go.

[witzah]

Attorney claims Osage teenage murder suspect not properly read rights

OSAGE, Iowa --- The attorney for the rural Osage teenager accused of the first-degree murder of his mother claims the teen was not properly advised of his rights during his initial interrogation by authorities.

As a result, Mason City attorney Tim Lapointe has entered a motion to suppress all evidence obtained by law enforcement after Noah Crooks, 13, was in custody and interrogated, allegedly without counsel.

“(The) ... seizure of the defendant was done in a manner such that the defendant was interrogated while in custody and without having been previously read his rights pursuant to the case of Miranda v. Arizona ... Therefore, the search and seizure of the defendant in this case was illegal and any and all evidence obtained as a result ... must be suppressed as a matter of law,” Lapointe said in his motion.

Lapointe also argued in his motion, recorded in Mitchell County Juvenile Court on May 1, that Noah Crooks was “not sufficiently apprised” of his right to counsel, or the right to have his father present at the time of questioning.

“The child was interrogated, while in custody, and there was never any assertion by the child that he understood his rights, nor were there questions asked to determine whether he sufficiently understood his rights at the time he was presented with an signed a Miranda form,” Lapointe wrote.

Noah’s father, William, allegedly was not advised of his rights, or his son’s rights, said Lapointe.
No date has been set on a ruling.

Read More: http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/att...#ixzz1yoolE8hO

[witzah]

UPDATE: Motion to suppress evidence suspended in Crooks case

OSAGE, Iowa --- A motion to suppress evidence at an upcoming hearing in the Noah Crooks murder case has been suspended in Mitchell County Juvenile Court.

According to documents filed Tuesday, Crooks’ attorney, Tim Lapointe, and Mitchell County Attorney Mark Walk reached an agreement concerning what evidence would be presented at a hearing at 9 a.m. June 22 that will consider waiving Crooks, 13, to youthful offender status.

The hearing is important in how the case is heard. If determined a youthful offender and found guilty, Crooks would stay under the supervision of the judicial system past his 18th birthday. The case would be tried in district court.

If the teen remains classified as a juvenile offender, he could be freed at the age of 18. The allegations — not charges — would be heard in juvenile court.

Lapointe preserved “his client’s intent to raise issues addressed in the motion at a later time, either ... in juvenile court, or if the matter is tried by the district court, in youthful offender status.”

Crooks faces allegations of first-degree murder in the death of his mother, Gretchen A. Crooks, 37, at the family home on March 24. Gretchen Crooks died of gunshot wounds, according to the sheriff's report.

It is also alleged he committed assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. A motion to dismiss the charge due to lack of probable cause, filed by Lapointe, will be considered at the June 22 hearing.

A request to move Crooks to an Eldora detention center was withdrawn by Walk. Crooks will remain at the North Iowa Detention Center in Waterloo.

Judge Gregg R. Rosenbladt continues to consider other motions filed by Lapointe. One asks that he be allowed to have co-counsel and that all records and motions related to the case be kept confidential. Lapointe also filed a motion to exclude the public from all hearings.

Read More: http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/cou...#ixzz1yq2wRiM7

Obviously an earlier article, but it looks like the motion to suppress was temporarily agreed upon while the defendant preserved the right to recall the issue.

[witzah]

Gretchen A. Crooks, 37,of 3955 Cameo Ave, Osage, IA, died Saturday March 24, 2012 at her home.

Funeral services will be held 1:00 pm, Friday, March 30, 2012 at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 100 1st ST. NE, Mason City. Officiating will be the Rev. Paul M. Schaefer of Plymouth Baptist Church and Rev. Patti Aurand pastor of the First Congregational Church. Visitation will be from 3:00 until 9:00 pm Thursday at Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 2nd ST. SE, Mason City. Following the funeral Gretchen will be cremated. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.Fullertonfh.com.

Gretchen Ann was born on August 20, 1974 in Fairfield, California the oldest daughter of Michael and Bev “Bucher” Brahm. She was a graduate of Mason City High School with the class of 1992. She continued her education at NIACC then earned her BSN degree in Nursing from the University of Iowa and was working on her masters at the time of her death. She has been engaged in nursing at Mercy Hospital for most of her working career where her caring and compassion was her personification. She was the Clinical Leader in Critical Care, and has served as a Nursing Supervisor. She also volunteered for the Federal Disaster Medical Team during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Rita.

On October 29, 1994 she was united in marriage to William Crooks at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Mason City. Recently she and Bill had a wonderful 10 day trip to Mexico. She enjoyed watching the Iowa Hawkeye’s football team and attending Twins Games. She was energetic doing things with her sons like boating, horseback riding and spending time with her extended family. Her favorite times of the year were Valentines and Halloween which was her and William’s anniversary. Many will remember her sassy and feisty personality.

Those thankful in sharing Gretchen’s life is her husband William of 17 years, her sons Jacob Schmitt, Mason City, and Noah Crooks, Osage, her parents Mike and Bev Brahm, Mason City; Brother Jason Brahm, Mason City; Grandmother Greta Brahm, Kettering, OH; Father-in-law Robert (Sue) Crooks, Mason City, Mother-in-law Vonda Boggess, Eldora; Sister-in-laws Sara Rawson, and Jessica Rhea, both of Eldora; Niki (Dave) Atherton, Naperville, IL; and Brother-in-law Jason Mead, Mason City, and numerous nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, and a whole host of friends.

Her Maternal Grandparents Clayton and Virgilene Bucher, and paternal Grandfather George Brahm preceded her in death

http://www.northiowatoday.com/?p=14483

How sad.

[Krystal]

He needs to be kept in kiddie prison or regular prison past his 18th birthday. When I first read that he shot his mom I was thinking retaliation for abuse, scolding, hell even taking away his Xbox or something but then to read that he tried to rape her, clearly he needs to be kept away from society for quite some time.

Around these parts if the crime is bad enough 12 and 13 yo can get very lengthy sentences in prison, yes they get frequent parole hearings but they don't get out, they're recognized as very dangerous and kept locked up and that seems to fit this kid perfectly.

[witzah]

William Crooks accepts the DAISY Award on behalf of his late wife Gretchen Crooks, who was named the first recipient of the award at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa. With Bill, left to right, are: Jenny Castle, clinical nurse manager of the critical care unit; Crooks, Carrie Potter, a Mercy nurse and member of the Mercy Patient Care Experience Team; and Kim Chamberlin, vice president, Patient Services and chief nursing officer

MASON CITY — Gretchen Crooks, a former nurse at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, who died on March 24, was named the first recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Mercy-North Iowa on Monday.

Crooks, 37, was honored based on her dedication and compassion to her patients, her colleagues and the organization, Mercy officials said.

“She was a nurse’s nurse,” said Kim Chamberlin, vice president of patient services/chief nursing officer at Mercy-North Iowa.

Crooks’ husband, William, of Osage, accepted the award on behalf of his late wife.

The award was presented in honor of National Nurses Week, which began Monday. It is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif. It was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999 at the age of 33 from a little-known autoimmune disease, iIdiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. The care he and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired the award as a way of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

Each month, a Mercy-North Iowa or Mercy Clinic nurse will be selected for the DAISY Award by Mercy-North Iowa’s Patient Care Experience Committee, which is made up of nurses.

The presentation is made in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients and visitors. A certificate commending him or her for being an extraordinary nurse is presented.

http://globegazette.com/news/local/m...a4bcf887a.html

So this is the poor husband/dad. Poor guy.

[witzah]

Teen's hearing on Osage murder continued but will be closed

The hearing, Rosenbladt said, will feature “ a great deal of testimony (that) ... will revolve around whether or not Noah Riley Crooks has a mental illness, what diagnosis he has, if any, and what effect any mental illness may or may not have on the events leading to the charge and which may impact his prospects for rehabilitation.

“It is clear that both Noah Riley Crooks and the State will be offering comprehensive forensic psychiatric evaluation evidence ...”

In a previous order, Rosenbladt had already ruled that certain components of the juvenile court file would not be made public, including psychiatric and psychological evaluations, or social history reports.

“There is also the possibility that information disclosed by Noah Crooks to evaluators in this matter may not be admissible in later proceedings, due to Fifth Amendment issues,” Rosenbladt said in his motion.

Rosenbladt requested input from psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Fialkov, who specializes in general, child and adolescent and forensic psychiatry.

In his report to the court, Fialkov cited concerns about Crooks’ mental state, safety concerns, and potentially self-injurious or impulsive behavior and recommended “that the Court take measures appropriate to maintain safety and confidentiality.”

Once the hearing is held, Rosenbladt will enter a written order summarizing the testimony, making findings of fact and conclusions of law, and determine whether Crooks will be tried in district court, or his acts evaluated in juvenile court.

Read More: http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/tee...#ixzz1yqAvsZgY

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Noah Crooks on Tuesday waived his right to a speedy trial and will plead not guilty to charges he murdered his mother, Gretchen, on March 24 at the family’s rural Osage home.

Instead, his attorneys will seek an insanity or diminished capacity defense for the 14-year-old.

Looking more like a student ready for class than an accused murderer, Crooks was formally arraigned on the first-degree murder charge, a Class A felony; as well as first-degree assault with the intent to commit sexual abuse, a Class C felony.

Crooks, wearing a blue polo shirt and khaki pants, was brought into the courtroom in handcuffs, with his attorney William Kutmus.

He appeared before Judge James Drew, at the Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center with some of his family in attendance.
[...]

The only other item of note was Crooks’s wish to “say hello to his father,” said Kutmus. Drew granted the request, upon the agreement from security personnel.
[...]

Judge Gregg R. Rosenbladt ruled in early October that Crooks would be tried in district court as a youthful offender, rather than face allegations in juvenile court.

Rosenbladt in his ruling said in doing so, Crooks would have a better chance at rehabilitation, if found guilty of the charges. The youthful offender status would allow the courts to keep him in the system past his 18th birthday.

http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/upd...a4bcf887a.html

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Noah Crooks is on trial. His dad testified this week:

A text from an Osage teenager expressing remorse for fatally shooting his mother was originally thought to be a joke, the boy’s father testified on Friday during his son’s murder trial.

William Crooks, 41, testified in Wright County District Court in Clarion about receiving a text from his son, Noah Crooks, on the night of March 24, 2012, that read, “Dad this is Noah. I killed Mom accidentally. I regret it. Come home now please.”

William Crooks, who was away that night from the family’s rural home in Osage, said he thought Noah was joking, so he replied, “OK. Just throw her in the grove. We’ll take care of her later.”

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/vie...as-a-joke?News

It’s an emotional day in the courtroom as Noah Crooks father William takes the witness stand. He recalls that on March 24th, 2012, he received a text message from his son.

“It said Dad you need to come home, I accidentally killed mom.”

William goes on to say that he thought the text was some kind of joke, but when he arrived home later that day, the Sheriff told him what happened.

“Sheriff walked up to me and explained to me that my wife had passed away and that Noah had shot her.”

William tells the jury there were about five guns in the house. He says he taught Noah how to use the weapons. William also reveals that the victim, his wife Gretchen, bought Noah his very own rifle, the same one investigators say was used to kill her.

William said that Noah and Gretchen seemed to have a typical mother-son relationship.

“They’d have their issues but then the next minute they’d play games together I’d say it was, well I guess now looking back, but it was good,” he explains.
[...]

William crooks says that he and Gretchen allowed Noah to play violent video games.

http://www.kimt.com/2013/05/03/6146-autosave/

William Crooks struggled to keep his emotions in check throughout his testimony Friday, which focused in part on his son's relationship with his mother.

William Crooks testified that the two had a loving relationship, punctuated by intense arguments.

When asked if he had ever heard Noah threaten to kill his mother, he said he had.

“I guess I didn't take it as a threat at the time, but yes,” William Crooks said. “On a few occasions he said that he wished she was dead and in a ditch."

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys also focused on Noah’s mental health background.

His dad testified that Noah had been on medication for A.D.D. since he was 8 years old, and had occasional outbursts in class and on the school bus.

His troubles became more physical in fifth grade.

“He would pull all of the hair off his head, his eyebrows, his eyelashes, and he'd pull the hair off his legs,” William Crooks said. “His arms too. Anywhere that he had hair, he pulled it out.'"

William Crooks said Noah became more violent in recent years, breaking windows and using a knife to stab the wooden pillars, couch cushions, and doors in the family’s home.

William Crooks said the violent outbursts came out of the blue and were not planned, adding that often Noah could not remember why he had acted out, but always atoned for his actions.

http://www.kaaltv.com/article/storie...html?cat=10218

[Abroad]

William Crooks said Noah became more violent in recent years, breaking windows and using a knife to stab the wooden pillars, couch cushions, and doors in the family’s home.

William Crooks said the violent outbursts came out of the blue and were not planned, adding that often Noah could not remember why he had acted out, but always atoned for his actions.

And the parents thought this was a good candidate for gun-ownership? Impulse-control, anybody?

[Whisper]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...m_hp_ref=crime

[JGo555]

Has anyone checked this kid? He might have a freaking tumor in his head making him become violent and shit.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Noah Crooks was found guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of his mother, Gretchen, in March 2012, following three days of jury deliberations in Wright County District Court.

Crooks, 14, was found not guilty of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse in the same incident.

http://globegazette.com/news/local/c...9bb2963f4.html