Cedar Rapids Police make arrest in 2011 cold case murder of Dexter Meeks

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Cedar Rapids Police have charged a California man in connection to a 2011 cold case murder.

29-year-old Mykel Roberts of California, is charged with First Degree Murder for the June 2011 death of 22-year-old Dexter Meeks. Roberts is also charged with Attempted Murder and Going Armed with Intent. His bond has been set at $3,000,000.

Police say Roberts shot and killed Meeks at 211 15th St. SE around 3 a.m. on June 26, 2011. Meeks was sitting on the porch of his apartment building with his brother, Andrew Meeks. The brothers had just walked home from the Tycoon Bar in downtown Cedar Rapids.

Andrew says he saw a man walk out of the alley next to their apartment building and open fire on the brothers. He told investigators he was able to get inside the main door of the building, but Dexter was shot in the head and fell in the entryway and died a short time later.

Andrew was the only witness, but was unable to identify the suspect.  Neighbors told police they heard gunshots, but no one reported seeing the shooting.

The investigation centered around disturbances at Tycoon Bar that involved the Meeks brothers and another group of people associated with the brothers the night of the murder. Several people were questioned, but there wasn’t enough evidence to identify a specific suspect. By 2012, despite following up on all reasonable leads, police still couldn’t identify a suspect.

Then last March, CRPD’s Cold Case Unit was contacted by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department in Modesto, California about an inmate, Roberts, attempting to confess to a murder that happened in Cedar Rapids in 2011. The Sheriff’s Department told CRPD Investigators Roberts had some information, but was uncertain of the victim’s name. Stanislaus County Detectives interviewed Roberts to get more information and verify the confession. CRPD Investigators were eventually able to identify the victim as Dexter Meeks.

After a substantial review, CRPD determined Roberts was likely involved in the murder. In April, two cold case investigators travelled to Modesto and interviewed Roberts, obtaining a complete, detailed confession that supported and corroborated many details of the murder.

The Linn County Attorney’s Office eventually filed the charges and a warrant was served to Roberts in California. He has been extradited back to Iowa and is now in custody at the Linn County Jail.

“The Police Department is committed to following all leads and seeking resolution to all homicide cases. Our investigators are dedicated to bringing those responsible for taking the life of another human being to justice,” Police Chief Wayne Jerman said. “While an arrest does not erase the pain, suffering, and sadness with a murder case that is almost 10 years old, we hope that a suspect being brought to justice lessens that burden.”

“This case serves as another example of an unwavering commitment by our Police Department to investigate and pursue those who commit crimes of violence in our community,” Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden said. “Our office is grateful to partner with them in our continuing effort to hold offenders to account for their crimes and deliver justice to the victim.”