On the morning of April 1, 2019, the quiet city of Mandan, North Dakota, was shaken by a grim discovery at a local business. Inside RJR Maintenance and Management, police found the bodies of four individuals in what would become known as one of the state's most horrific crimes. Among the victims was Lois Ann Cobb, a 45-year-old White female who worked as an account specialist at the company.
She was found alongside her husband, William Cobb, 50, who was a maintenance supervisor, the business owner Robert Fakler, 52, and another employee, Adam Fuehrer, 42.
Lois and her husband had moved to North Dakota from Illinois about six years prior and had recently purchased their dream home. Her daughter described her parents as loving the Mandan area and the people, stating they never indicated any problems at work, which made the violent nature of their deaths all the more incomprehensible to the family. The investigation revealed the victims had been shot and stabbed. Initially, with no weapon recovered from the scene and no suspect identified, a sense of unease gripped the community as police launched an intensive investigation.
The breakthrough in the case came from hours of surveillance footage from nearby businesses. This footage allowed investigators to identify a suspect's vehicle, which they tracked to Washburn, a town about 40 miles north of Mandan. On April 4, 2019, authorities conducted a traffic stop and arrested 44-year-old Chad Isaak. A search of Isaak and his truck uncovered evidence that provided probable cause for his arrest in connection with the four murders. Isaak was a chiropractor who lived in a trailer park managed by RJR Maintenance and Management, establishing a connection between him and the victims, though a clear motive for the killings was never determined.
Subsequent investigation of Isaak's home revealed clothing in his dryer consistent with what the suspect wore in surveillance videos and the smell of bleach. A knife was also discovered in his washing machine. In August 2021, a jury found Chad Isaak guilty on four counts of murder, burglary, and other charges. He showed no emotion as the verdicts were read. Despite maintaining his innocence, telling the court, "I can honestly tell you that I'm not a murderer," Isaak was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
