Linn County cold case suspect gets plea deal deadline

Michael Schappert, 65, appeared in Linn County court Friday for a case management conference in the first-degree murder case stemming from the December 1983 death of Ronald Novak.

The court set a deadline of the end of July 2026 for the defense to decide on a plea deal offered by prosecutors, according to court proceedings reported by Iowa's News Now.

"The prosecution set the end of July as a deadline for the deal they initially offered in the spring, saying they need to start those trial preparations by August in order to be ready to present their case," Iowa's News Now Staff reported.

Schappert entered a not-guilty plea to the charge in July 2025. His trial remains scheduled to begin in mid-January 2027.

The case involves a long-standing Linn County investigation that drew renewed attention after Schappert's arrest in Oregon in May 2025. Cedar Rapids and Linn County residents have followed developments in the decades-old matter as it moves through the court system.