In the spring of 2021, the life of 29-year-old Kelsey Coon-Lennon, a female resident of Lansing, Michigan, was tragically cut short. On May 1, 2021, police discovered the bodies of Coon-Lennon and her 39-year-old boyfriend, Harley Owens, in their home. Both had been fatally shot. The grim discovery was made after officers responded to a report of a shooting. In the initial days of the investigation, no arrests were made, leaving a sense of uncertainty hanging over the case.
A significant breakthrough came in August 2021 when authorities charged 41-year-old Isaiah Gardenhire with the murders of Coon-Lennon and Owens. At the time the charges were brought against him, Gardenhire was already in custody for a separate and brutal series of crimes committed in June 2021. Those offenses included the fatal stabbing of a 13-year-old girl, Adrie Dembowski, and the sexual assault of her mother in Isabella County.
Gardenhire's criminal history revealed a pattern of violence, with previous convictions for home invasion and assault. His arrest in connection with the Lansing double homicide brought to light his alleged involvement in a violent crime spree that spanned multiple counties in Michigan.
In February 2022, Isaiah Gardenhire pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder for the killings of Kelsey Coon-Lennon and Harley Owens. The following month, an Ingham County judge sentenced him to a term of 50 to 125 years in prison for their deaths. This sentence was to be served concurrently with a 75 to 120-year sentence he received for the murder of Adrie Dembowski. Given the length of his sentences, it is expected that Gardenhire will spend the remainder of his life incarcerated. During his sentencing for the Lansing murders, Gardenhire chose not to make a statement.
