Rural Waukon Family Mourns Murdered Woman

by Katie Wiedemann, Reporter

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By Katie Wiedemann

Story Created: Sep 9, 2009 at 4:29 PM CST

Story Updated: Sep 10, 2009 at 9:19 AM CST

Waukon- A rural Waukon family is still in shock after police say a soldier murdered his wife.

31 year-old Staff Sergeant Jonathan Downing faces a criminal homicide charge.

He's a Decorah High School graduate. Tennessee police arrested him Tuesday after a brief standoff outside a church. He's accused of shooting and killing his wife, 25 year-old Sena Downing.

She was born and raised in northeast Iowa, near Waukon.

Helen Stegen says her granddaughter was the light of her life.
Stegen said, "She was beautiful and bright and could do anything she put her mind to."

A car accident changed the grandmother's role into more of a mother figure for Sena.

Stegen said, "Her mother was killed in 1997. She's been dead for 12 years and Sena lived here most of the time from that time on."

Helen says Sena married Jonathan Downing about 4 years ago. They were happy. But Helen says things changed when he returned home from his second tour in Iraq.

Stegen said, "She couldn't wait for him to get back. When he came back he pulled away from her it seemed."

The 25 year-old waitress often called Helen seeking advice about her marriage.

Stegen said, "She was very loyal to him and loved him dearly and wanted to make her marriage work. It was the most important thing in her life."

Helen knew there was trouble but never expected this phone call: her precious granddaughter was gone.

Stegen said, "I just can't believe she won't be calling me saying ‘Hi Grandma’"

For Helen, none of this makes sense. She says she's comforted knowing Sena is once again in her mother's arms.

Stegen says Jonathan Downing is originally from California but graduated from Decorah High School in 1995.

She says his parents have since moved back to California.

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