David Scott Jondle & Marilyn Ruth Jondle

Who was Cindy Lou Beck?

Cindy Lou Beck was born in 1964. She was around 20 years older than Andrew Jondle, and the pair began a relationship. Scott and Marilyn didn’t approve of Cindy Lou and they became suspicious of the power imbalance between the couple. Eventually, they told Andrew that he could either cut ties with Cindy and stay on the farm, or he could move out and live with her. He chose the latter and he moved into her apartment in Salem, where she hadn’t paid rent for two months.

It’s not known exactly when this happened but Cindy Lou began presenting herself as a psychic to Andrew, claiming that she could enter trances through psychic channeling and see Andrew’s future. He’d had a sheltered upbringing so he was easily manipulated by Cindy. She told him that the only way forward was for Andrew to kill his parents so they would inherit the farm.

The truth was that she wanted the family money to pay off her many debts and try and get her children back who were in foster care at the time.

Who were David and Marilyn Jondle?

David Scott Jondle was born on January 7, 1949, in Ladysmith, Wisconsin to his parents, Ralph and Mary Ellen. David Jondle went by his middle name most of the time so most of his friends and family referred to him as Scott. Scott had two brothers, Bruce and Ned and a sister called Anne.

Marilyn Ruth Edwards was born on November 14, 1951 to her parents, Ira and Jean Edwards. She had one brother called David. Marilyn grew up in the same area as Scott but the pair didn’t meet until they both attended St Olaf College in Minnesota. Scott graduated in 1972 with a B.S in Chemistry and he received his M.S in 1974 from the University of Minnesota. Marilyn graduated with a B.A in Home Economics in 1973. On April 21, 1973, the pair got married at the United Methodist Church in Northfield.

Scott then entered the Air Force, and he reached the rank of Captain. Throughout his time in the Air Force, he and Marilyn lived in various countries, including Germany and the Philippines. Scott was given an honorable discharge in 1981 and the pair settled in California, where he got a job at Hughes Aircraft. In 1986, they moved to Silicon Valley for a job offer that Scott had and this is where the pair decided to adopt three sons; Wayne, Luke, and Andrew.

In 1999, the family decided they wanted a quieter pace of life, and they moved to Virginia to study sustainable farming and living. In September 2000, they bought a 210-acre sustainable farm called Abundant Life Farm in Dallas and integrated themselves into the local community. Both Scott and Marilyn were heavily involved in their local church and they really enjoyed the new life they’d made for themselves.

Victim Was Found Dead/Start of The Crime

On August 31, 2010, a delivery driver who was delivering water to Abundant Life Farm called 911 because he’d found a body in the farm’s garage. The body was that of Scott Jondle. He had been severely beaten with a pipe and later stabbed with a scythe.

Police later found the body of 58-year-old Marilyn Jondle in the farmhouse kitchen. She had also been bludgeoned to death with a lead pipe.

The Crime Description

On the evening of August 30, 2010, 21-year-old Andrew Jondle rode his scooter to his parents farmhouse. He somehow managed to convince his father to come outside to talk to him, and when Scott stepped outside of the garage door, Andrew ambushed him and beat him with a lead pipe. The beating was that severe that when police found his body, Scott’s head was completely caved in and some pieces were missing. According to Andrew’s later confession, he had heard his father gurgling and he decided to finish him off with a nearby scythe which was found near Scott’s body.

Marilyn had heard a commotion outside so she went to see what was going on. She found Scott’s body with Andrew stood over it, in bloodied clothing and holding a scythe. Marilyn screamed and ran back inside, but Andrew followed her, beating her over the head with the same lead pipe he’d used to kill Scott.

When Andrew was sure she was dead, he ransacked the home and stole their credit cards. He wanted it to look like a burglary gone wrong. Then, he rode the 20 miles back to his girlfriend’s apartment in Salem.

Suspect or Convicted Killer Details

Little is known about Andrew Jondle’s childhood. He was adopted by Marilyn and Scott before they moved to the farm in Dallas and the family had a good life together. The Jondles wanted their sons to spread their wings and move on with their lives when they were old enough and both Wayne and Luke Jondle did this. Wayne joined the U.S. Army at 18, and Luke settled down with someone and got married in his 20s. Andrew didn’t seem to know what he wanted to do with his life and was quite happy helping his parents on the family farm. That was until he met 46-year-old Cindy Lou Beck.

Investigation Details

When police arrived at Abundant Life Farm, they found Scott Jondle in the garage. It was obvious that he had been beaten around the head with something heavy as his skull was caved in and parts were missing. They could also see that he had been stabbed and the scythe was lying next to his body, covered in blood. They then moved into the farmhouse, where they found Marilyn in the kitchen. She’d also been beaten to death but not stabbed.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Department knew that Andrew also lived at the farmhouse and they didn’t know if he had been hurt as well. He wasn’t considered a suspect at this point. They found him via a police report issued in Salem. The report was given to Cindy Lou Beck and Andrew was listed as her boyfriend.

At the same time, police spoke to locals who knew the Jondles. When they spoke to their church pastor, he told them that Andrew had become estranged from his parents over his relationship with Cindy Lou Beck. Andrew had actually asked his pastor for some money to pay off the rent arrears Cindy had but he said no because the church disapproved of their relationship.

Police went to Cindy Lou Beck’s apartment and asked the couple to come down to the station so they could be asked a few questions. While there, they noticed that Scott and Marilyn’s credit cards were on the table. Andrew was also shaking uncontrollably, which made police think he could possibly be involved in the murder of his parents.

Cindy Lou Beck denied any knowledge of the murder, admitting that Scott and Marilyn disliked her but insisted that this wasn’t enough for her to murder them. Andrew also denied being involved but he soon cracked under the pressure and he admitted everything but claimed it was in self-defense.

Andrew Jondle was charged with two counts of aggravated murder and one count of burglary.

Cindy Lou Beck was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder.

Trial

Cindy Lou Beck pleaded no contest to her charges.

Andrew Jondle avoided the death penalty by agreeing to testify against Cindy Lou. This meant that he would face life in prison instead. He pled guilty to the aggravated murder charges and the burglary charge he faced.

Verdict

Cindy Lou Beck received a 20-year prison sentence. A month after this sentence was given, she faced additional charges of two counts of rape and two counts of sodomy.

Andrew Jondle was given a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 50 years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Cindy Lou Beck kill the Jondles?

While she wasn’t the one who physically murdered them, she did convince Andrew to do it, and this is why she was charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

Are Cindy Lou Beck and Andrew Jondle still in prison?

Yes, Cindy will be eligible for parole when she is 81 years old. Andrew Jondle could be paroled when he is 51, but this isn’t likely.