THE DARK SIDE OF IOWA
Timothy O'Conner
#1107932
Full Name: Timothy "Elvis" O'Conner
DOB: August 13, 1959
Charge: 2nd degree murder
County: Scott
City: Davenport
Current Status: Clarinda Correctional Facility
Date of Crime: February 11, 1999
Tentative Discharge Date: November 15, 2041
Victim: Virgil "Hot Rod" Engelkens
DOB: August 13, 1959
Charge: 2nd degree murder
County: Scott
City: Davenport
Current Status: Clarinda Correctional Facility
Date of Crime: February 11, 1999
Tentative Discharge Date: November 15, 2041
Victim: Virgil "Hot Rod" Engelkens
Keith Brown was convicted in 1999 of hiring a hit man to kill his friend, Virgil “Hot Rod” Engelkens, 27. Five months later, the man who fired two deer slugs into Hot Rod told authorities that Keith, 44, had nothing to do with the crime.
The shooter, Tim “Elvis” O’Connor, had failed psychiatric evaluations to see if he was fit to stand trial. Elvis, a staunch man in his 40s, was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic who believed he was Elvis Presley, the kind of rock and roll. But after Keith had been tried and sentenced, a second doctor found him fit to stand trial. Then, in a shocking turn of events, on January 25, 2000, Elvis told authorities that John Pardee, Hot Rod’s half-brother, ordered the killing and not Keith Brown.
John Pardee was arrested that day. With the new information, his life was turned upside down, too. Despite Elvis’ confession, Keith remained inside his cell at Anamosa State Penitentiary. There, he began to fight the convictions that felt were unjust. There was no physical evidence linking Keith to the murder. No confession. Just the testimony of people with backgrounds like his and names like Elvis and Scurvy Dog.
The prosecution said Keith wanted Hot Rod dead because he had been told Hot Rod raped his girlfriend, Jennifer Adams, a year earlier. Jennifer and Roy Hulting (aka Scurvy Dog) were key witnesses in the trial. Jennifer took the stand only after being granted immunity. The then 19-year-old testified that the time she was living with her stepfather, John, and his girlfriend, Theresa Chinn, after years of shuffling between family members and foster homes. She met Keith through John a week before her murder and the two soon were living together, sparking a union that quickly brought talks of marriage.
According to testimony, Jennifer told Keith that Hot Rod had raped her a year earlier. Two nights later, she told the same story to Theresa and John. From there, the story starts to get a bit murky. Almost everywhere there was drinking, smoking marijuana or doing cocaine – a common theme repeated during the testimony. Some said Keith was irate. Some said John was. Some said there was talk of “holding court” for Hot Rod.
About 8 a.m. on February 11, 1999, Elvis and Scurvy Dog picked up Hot Rod on the guise that of making extra cash moving furniture. He was taken to a remove west Davenport campground where Elvis shot him twice in the chest. Keith arrived at the scene an hour later because Elvis had asked him for a ride.
Keith seemed agitated, almost frightened, as he recently recalled what he had seen that day. “It was like I was caught in a vacuum. I could hear the cars on 280. I could hear the crows in the trees, but when I saw Virgil, it was like there was a glass over my head and I couldn’t hear nothing. No sound, and the next thing you know, Tim (Elvis) said, ‘Let’s go.’” “As far as Virgil getting hurt, I knew nothing about it. I was not aware of anything like that. It just happened. I just walked into it, and it was done and over it, it was a bad day. Virgil was a friend of mine.”
Days after Hot Rod was killed, his family listed him as a missing person and posted fliers around town. Immediately, Rock Island, Illinois, police questioned family. John pointed the finger at Keith after Keith did the same to John. After their investigation, police issued warrants for Keith, Scurvy Dog, and Elvis.
Scurvy Dog was arrested and pointed police to Hot Rod’s decomposing body. It was covered in twigs, his left hand sticking out – almost as to give a “come here” motion. Scurvy Dog denied he was paid, but later testified that Keith slipped $100 in his pocket and did the same to Elvis.
The shooter, Tim “Elvis” O’Connor, had failed psychiatric evaluations to see if he was fit to stand trial. Elvis, a staunch man in his 40s, was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic who believed he was Elvis Presley, the kind of rock and roll. But after Keith had been tried and sentenced, a second doctor found him fit to stand trial. Then, in a shocking turn of events, on January 25, 2000, Elvis told authorities that John Pardee, Hot Rod’s half-brother, ordered the killing and not Keith Brown.
John Pardee was arrested that day. With the new information, his life was turned upside down, too. Despite Elvis’ confession, Keith remained inside his cell at Anamosa State Penitentiary. There, he began to fight the convictions that felt were unjust. There was no physical evidence linking Keith to the murder. No confession. Just the testimony of people with backgrounds like his and names like Elvis and Scurvy Dog.
The prosecution said Keith wanted Hot Rod dead because he had been told Hot Rod raped his girlfriend, Jennifer Adams, a year earlier. Jennifer and Roy Hulting (aka Scurvy Dog) were key witnesses in the trial. Jennifer took the stand only after being granted immunity. The then 19-year-old testified that the time she was living with her stepfather, John, and his girlfriend, Theresa Chinn, after years of shuffling between family members and foster homes. She met Keith through John a week before her murder and the two soon were living together, sparking a union that quickly brought talks of marriage.
According to testimony, Jennifer told Keith that Hot Rod had raped her a year earlier. Two nights later, she told the same story to Theresa and John. From there, the story starts to get a bit murky. Almost everywhere there was drinking, smoking marijuana or doing cocaine – a common theme repeated during the testimony. Some said Keith was irate. Some said John was. Some said there was talk of “holding court” for Hot Rod.
About 8 a.m. on February 11, 1999, Elvis and Scurvy Dog picked up Hot Rod on the guise that of making extra cash moving furniture. He was taken to a remove west Davenport campground where Elvis shot him twice in the chest. Keith arrived at the scene an hour later because Elvis had asked him for a ride.
Keith seemed agitated, almost frightened, as he recently recalled what he had seen that day. “It was like I was caught in a vacuum. I could hear the cars on 280. I could hear the crows in the trees, but when I saw Virgil, it was like there was a glass over my head and I couldn’t hear nothing. No sound, and the next thing you know, Tim (Elvis) said, ‘Let’s go.’” “As far as Virgil getting hurt, I knew nothing about it. I was not aware of anything like that. It just happened. I just walked into it, and it was done and over it, it was a bad day. Virgil was a friend of mine.”
Days after Hot Rod was killed, his family listed him as a missing person and posted fliers around town. Immediately, Rock Island, Illinois, police questioned family. John pointed the finger at Keith after Keith did the same to John. After their investigation, police issued warrants for Keith, Scurvy Dog, and Elvis.
Scurvy Dog was arrested and pointed police to Hot Rod’s decomposing body. It was covered in twigs, his left hand sticking out – almost as to give a “come here” motion. Scurvy Dog denied he was paid, but later testified that Keith slipped $100 in his pocket and did the same to Elvis.
Source: Quad City Times