BREAKING NEWS: Coralville man arrested in murder and robbery

By KENT THOMPSON
An arrest has been made in the Wednesday, Dec. 4 shooting and bank robbery in Lu Verne.
Valentino Williams, 35, of Coralville, has been charged with murder in the first degree and robbery in the first degree in connection with the murder of Jessica Weishaar, 43, of Algona, an employee of the Security State Bank, 102 Dewitt St., Lu Verne.
The criminal complaint states that Williams did willfully, deliberately and with premeditation while participating in a forcible felony, kill Jessica Weishaar.
On Dec. 4 at 8:40 a.m. the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office received a request for an ambulance. Reports came into 911 in Kossuth County that a female victim had been shot outside the Security State Bank in Lu Verne. The victim was later determined to be Weishaar, who died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
Witnesses reported that a black SUV driven by a black male involved in the shooting headed east out of Lu Verne. Law enforcement authorities in neighboring towns received several reports of a dark colored SUV or Crossover vehicle traveling east away from Lu Verne.
At 9:38 a.m., Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) motor vehicle enforcement offices, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) agents and sheriff’s deputies made a traffic stop near mile marker 158 of the northbound lane of Interstate 35. A black SUV with no front license plate that matched the description of the vehicle was stopped. The vehicle was a Mazda CX-5 with a rear Michigan license plate. The vehicle was driven by Williams.
Video near the crime scene showed the suspect to be of average height wearing a dark-colored Carhart-style coach with a hoodie. The suspect exited the vehicle carrying a dark backpack in his left hand and a large handgun in his right. The suspect reportedly fired at the victim several times and then fled the scene.
One witness said a dark-colored vehicle with no license plate was parked behind the Post Office in LuVerne. The witness reported hearing three gunshots and then saw an individual running across the street wearing a ski mask. The witness followed the vehicle east out of Lu Verne at a high rate of speed, but lost sight of vehicle near the intersection with Highway 17, five miles east of town. The vehicle reportedly headed north on Highway 17. A second witness was driving westbound from Kanawha on County Road B-63, and reported a black SUV driven eastbound by a black male.
In a search of the area east of the intersection of B-63 and Highway 17 in extreme southern Hancock County, the Iowa State Patrol located a black ski mask and black medical gloves along the roadway. Three miles further east on B-63, a local citizen found a green Carhart-style coat, which was turned over to law enforcement. Zip ties were also located in the area. Jeans and boots were also located along the stretch of road and were consistent with the clothes and footwear the suspect was wearing in the surveillance video.
Another dark green coat was found near West Twin Lake on 120th Street in rural Hancock County. Inside the coat law enforcement officers found a card for a 2019 Mazda CX-5, with the VIN number as the vehicle Williams was found driving.
During a search of the vehicle, officers seized an empty black duffle bag, a gray-colored backpack, black spray paint and burglary tools. A check with the rental company confirmed that the Mazda CX-5 was rented by Williams in Iowa City on Monday, Dec. 2, and was due back to the company on Dec. 5.
Kossuth County Sheriff Steve Kollasch termed the crime “very unfortunate and senseless.”
If anyone has information regarding the incident that occurred at the Security State Bank in LuVerne, they are asked to call the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office at (515) 295-3514.
Agencies assisting at the scene included the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office, Algona Police Department, Algona EMS, LuVerne Fire Department, Mercy Air Med, Kossuth County Medical Examiner, sheriff’s offices from Humboldt, Hancock, Winnebago and Wright, the Iowa State Patrol, Minnesota State Patrol and the Iowa DCI.
Williams is being held in the Kossuth County Jail awaiting an initial court appearance.
Funeral services for Jessica Weishaar are pending with the Lentz Funeral Home in Algona.
Look for more information on this story at www.humboldtnews.com and in the Dec. 12 edition of The Humboldt Independent.