Attorney files to suppress murder suspect statement

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG
PCC EDITOR

FORT MADISON - A Fort Madison man charged with murder in the death of Keokuk woman earlier this year, wants statements made to police on the night of his arrest stricken as evidence.

Adam Golden McCain, 25, of Fort Madison is charged in the slaying of CaLove Sackman on Feb. 5, 2019 in the parking lot of the River City Mall in Keokuk.

Sackman was 27 at the time of her death.

MCCAIN

If convicted, McCain is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. Lee County Attorney Ross Braden, along with 1st Asst. Jonathan Stensvaag, will be prosecuting the case for the state. Fort Madison public defender Kendra Abfalter and Burlington public defender James Beres have been appointed to represent McCain.

Beres filed a motion on behalf of McCain in June to suppress statements McCain made to law enforcement officers on the night of his arrest. A hearing on that motion is set for Sept. 12 at the South Lee County Courthouse in Keokuk.

McCain pleaded not guilty to the charge in March. According to court documents, McCain’s most current address was listed in the 5200 block of River Valley Road in Fort Madison.

On February 5th, 2019 at approximately 10:27 pm, Keokuk Police Department officers responded to the 300 block of Main Street in the River City Mall parking lot for a female who had been stabbed.

Sackman was discovered at the scene and transported by ambulance to Unity Point Hospital in Keokuk, where she died as a result of multiple stab wounds to her torso.

McCain was later stopped by a Lee County Sheriff’s deputy as a possible suspect in a hit-and-run in Keokuk sometime after the stabbing occurred. A LeeComm dispatcher realized from the deputy’s stop that McCain was sought in connection with the stabbing, and he was taken into custody and delivered to the Keokuk Police Department.

In Beres' motion, he alleges McCain was Mirandized by investigators before questioning and invoked his right to remain silent, but questioning continued by investigators when incriminating statements were made in response to the interrogation.

Beres also writes in the motion, "Defendant acknowledged, at that later time, he waived those rights. But his waiver of rights was not voluntary".

Beres said because his waiver was not voluntary, the interrogation violated his 5th, 6th and 14th Amendment rights and asked that all the incriminating statements be suppressed in future proceedings.

According to documents, Sackman allegedly told a witness at the scene that McCain was the man who stabbed her.

According to the criminal complaint, McCain and Sackman, had been in a long-term relationship and were arguing when Sackman jumped from McCain’s vehicle in the mall parking lot in the 300 block of Main Street.

After being taken into custody, McCain allegedly told authorities that he was driving Sackman around in his vehicle and became upset with her and then she jumped from the vehicle.

McCain then allegedly told officers he got out of the vehicle and stabbed Sackman once and she was able to get away from him. But then he got back into his vehicle drove over to her and stabbed her repeatedly before leaving the scene.

McCain is currently being held in the Lee County Jail on a $1 million cash-only bond.

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