A Madison County man accused of killing his mother in June has pleaded not guilty.
Theodore Corkrean, 23, was arrested on June 22 and charged with first-degree murder in the death of his mother, Tammy Corkrean, 60, at their rural Van Meter home.
Deputies with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office were sent to the home about seven miles north of Winterset to check on Tammy Corkrean after West Des Moines police received a call that Theodore Corkrean had “done something,” according to Sheriff Jason Barnes in a news release.
Upon arrival, deputies found Tammy Corkrean dead with multiple gunshot wounds outside of the home, Barnes said. Investigators believe she was killed inside the home before being dragged into the yard.
Court filings indicate Theodore Corkrean, Tammy Corkrean’s adopted son according to a search warrant, admitted to investigators that he shot and killed his mother the day before his arrest, as well as describing what happened before and after the shooting, including how he got the firearm and how he tried to conceal the crime.
An additional court filing says Theodore Corkrean killed his mother “execution style,” and had recently been forced to resign from a job in Alaska after physically assaulting a coworker. Several incidents of physical assault ahead of Tammy Corkrean’s death, including against her, were reported.
Theodore Corkrean pleaded not guilty and demanded a speedy trial, according to recent court filings. He remains in the Madison County Jail without bail.
A jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 27, 2026, with a pre-trial conference on Oct. 6. Prosecutors, including Madison County Attorney Stephen Swanson, have requested the trial begin at an earlier date because of a scheduling conflict.
Kyle Werner is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@registermedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Madison County man pleads not guilty of killing adoptive mother
Reporting by Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
