Updated: Co-worker of homicide victim: I knew something was wrong

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    Davenport, Iowa (Quad-City Times) — Tim Alexander knew something was wrong around 2 p.m. Tuesday when he pulled into the parking lot of PR Masonry and saw Andrew Rupp inside his mother, Dianne Rupp’s, car.

“That was weird,” Alexander said. “Dianne would never let her son (Andrew Rupp) drive her car.”

Alexander was at the scene, 2654 W. Central Park, Davenport, when Dianne’s body was found in her apartment. Her son, Andrew Rupp, 53, has been charged with first-degree murder.

Alexander has worked for PR Masonry for 20 years. He was there when it was owned by Dianne’s other son, Pat Rupp, who died in June 2019. And he continued to work there when Dianne took it on.

Police say Dianne was killed in her apartment above the masonry shop.

Alexander said Andrew’s relationship with his mother was volatile, but they lived together in one of the five apartments there.

Alexander was already a little concerned when he came by around 9 a.m. Tuesday to shovel snow and Dianne’s car wasn’t in the parking lot.

When he saw Andrew in Dianne’s car, he grew more concerned.

When asked where Dianne was, Andrew said she’d been picked up by a friend. Andrew claimed she gave him permission to drive the car, according to Alexander.

Andrew then went up to the apartment. Alexander followed and began knocking on the door, but Andrew didn’t answer.

Alexander talked to a neighbor who had access to the apartment, but the neighbor’s key code wasn’t working. That’s when they started calling around, asking if anyone had seen Dianne.

Alexander left the scene when the neighbor finally got access to the apartment and found Dianne’s body. Alexander says Andrew was present when the body was found, but was outside at the time.

Police arrived shortly after 4:30 p.m. and arrested Andrew on a charge of interference with official acts and possession of a controlled substance. He was later charged with first-degree murder, and is being held in Scott County Jail.

Alexander said Dianne was a kind person who made a difference in people’s lives, and her family members and friends are torn up about her death.

“She’s going to be a legacy,” Alexander said.

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