Crime

Duluth Police Identify Victim in West Duluth Shooting

Police Say This is an Active and Ongoing Investigation

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department has identified the victim of the Sunday morning West Duluth shooting as 33-year-old Timothy Jon Nelson. According to authorities, Nelson’s cause of death was determined to be from a gunshot wound to the abdomen and has been ruled a homicide. According to reports, police responded reports of shots fired around 1:45 a.m. near…

Man Sentenced to Probation for Threats of Violence Against Duluth East

Busch was Arrested on April 5 While Working at the School

DULUTH, Minn. – The 36-year-old man accused of threatening to shoot up Duluth East High School in April was sentenced to five years of probation Monday morning. Travis John Anthony Warner Busch pleaded guilty to one count of Threats of Violence and one count of Possession of a Machine Gun Conversion Kit in July. Conditions of his probation include no…

Police Investigate Fatal Shooting In West Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police are investigating the shooting death of a man in West Duluth. The call for help came in around 1:47 a.m. Sunday to the 300 block of North 62nd Avenue West on a report of shots fired. When police arrived, they located a 33-year-old male inside a vehicle with a gunshot would to “his midsection,” according…

Complaint: Man High on Meth Kills Passenger While Driving Through Kettle River

43-year-old charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide

DULUTH, Minn.- A Willow River man is facing two counts of vehicular homicide after driving through a river while on meth, killing one of his passengers, according to the complaint. Two formal charges of criminal vehicular homicide have been filed against him, one for operating a vehicle with any amount of a controlled substance in his body. No bail has…

Minneapolis Man Charged, Allegedly Set Girlfriend on Fire

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A Minneapolis man is charged with attempted murder and assault after he allegedly strangled his girlfriend and set her on fire. The criminal complaint says the woman escaped and drove herself to the hospital while her hair and body were still smoldering. She’s now in a medically induced coma after Monday’s attack. Prosecutors charged 46-year-old Richard Bullock…

Willow River Man Charged With Criminal Vehicular Homicide

Prokasky is Due Back in Court September 24

WILLOW RIVER, Minn. – The 43-year-old man who drove his vehicle into Kettle River on Monday has been charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. Authorities received reports on Monday around 3:48 p.m. of a vehicle in the river and people in the water. When officers arrived on scene they learned that the driver, Preston Prokasky, and the backseat…

Lawyer: Ex-Wisconsin Nurse to Plead Guilty to Hurting Babies

Kaphaem Allegedly Injured Nine NICU Infants

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A defense attorney says a former Wisconsin nurse is prepared to plead guilty to hurting infants in a Madison hospital’s intensive care unit. Forty-three-year-old Christopher Kaphaem faces 19 felony child abuse counts involving nine infants. WKOW-TV reports Kaphaem’s attorney, Jonas Bednarek, notified the court of the plea in a letter Monday. Bednarek wrote that his client…

Homeless Man Charged in Adas Israel Synagogue Fire

Charges do not include arson, still no evidence of it being a hate crime.

DULUTH, Minn.- A 36–year–old Duluth homeless man, is now charged with starting the fire that destroyed the historic Adas Israel Synagogue in downtown Duluth one week ago. The charges don’t involve arson as Duluth Police recommended. Matthew Amiot had his first court appearance on Monday, charged with one count of negligent fires, and one count of negligent fires resulting in…

State Patrol: Driver Passes Out From Drug Use, Crosses Into Opposite Lane

ITASCA CO., Minn — A 19 year-old man passed out while driving after using drugs on Monday afternoon, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. He was driving north on Highway 38 in the Deer Lake Unorganized Territory. After the man passed out while driving, his car went over the centerline and into a ditch. It then hit a retaining wall…

Minnesota Man Gets 28 Years in Prison for Producing, Distributing Child Porn

Campbell Was Also Given 25 Years of Supervised Release

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota man has been sentenced to 28 years in federal prison for producing and distributing child pornography. Thirty-seven-year-old Nicholas Campbell, of Otsego, was also given 25 years of supervised released during sentencing last week in federal court in St. Paul. Prosecutors say FBI agents seized a large volume of electronic evidence from Campbell’s home…

Man Arrested for Adas Israel Synagogue Fire, Not a Hate Crime Yet Police Say

36-year-old Matthew James Amiot of Duluth arrested for arson in the first degree.

DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth Police announced that they have arrested a suspect for starting the Adas Israel Synagogue fire last Monday. 36–year–old Matthew Amiot was arrested for first degree arson on Friday, but right now police say there is no evidence that this was a hate crime. The suspect is being held at St. Louis County Jail. No formal charges have…

Arrest Made in Synagogue Fire, No Evidence of Hate Crime Yet

36-year-old Matthew James Amiot of Duluth arrested for arson.

DULUTH, Minn.- At a press conference Sunday Duluth Police and Fire announced that a suspect has been arrested for starting the Adas Israel Synagogue Fire. 36-year-old Matthew James Amiot of Duluth was arrested for Arson Friday afternoon, Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken said. Charges are imminent, meanwhile authorities recommended charging Amiot with arson in the first degree. Despite being arrested…

Vigil Held for Missing Northland Woman Sheila St. Clair

Indigenous woman missing since 2015 still being looked for by Police, family.

DULUTH, Minn.- It’s been four years since 48-year-old Sheila St. Clair of Duluth went missing, and Duluth Police say the case is still open. Today the members of the indigenous community and the Duluth Police Department met for a press conference at One Roof Community Housing to hear any possible tips into the woman’s whereabouts. They also met to keep…

Mother Charged With Neglect After 42-Pound Teen Son Dies

She is Due Back in Court on September 18

MILWAUKEE (AP) – A Milwaukee mother is facing neglect charges after the medical examiner determined her 42-pound teenage son died of severe malnutrition. A criminal complaint says Iraida Pizarro-Osorio brought her 16-year-old son to a medical clinic in Milwaukee last week after he became unresponsive. The teen died at the clinic. The complaint says he weighed just 42 pounds. Pizarro-Osorio…

Suspect, Shooting Victim Charged in Connection to Maple Shooting

Authorities say This is an Active Investigation

MAPLE, Wis. – One of the suspects, and the shooting victim detained in connection to a shooting incident earlier this month in Maple have been charged. According to court records, 37-year-old Leah Marie Sommerlot has been charged with aiding a felon – falsifying information, obstructing an officer and three counts of misdemeanor bail jumping and 29-year-old Patrick Staton has been…

Driver’s Education Teacher Convicted of Enticement

A Sentencing Date has not Been set

APPLETON, Wis. (AP) – A driver’s education teacher in Appleton has been convicted of child enticement. Seventy-four-year-old Charles Rodgers pleaded no contest to the charge in Outagamie County Circuit Court Thursday. Charges of attempted sexual assault by a school staff member and exposing child to harmful descriptions were dismissed as part of a plea deal. An investigation began when a…

Duluth City Attorney Reacts to Court’s Decision to Reinstate Officer Shown Misusing Force

City still disagrees, may petition case to Minnesota Supreme Court.

DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth City Attorney Gunnar Johnson is speaking out about the Minnesota Court of Appeals’ decision saying a Duluth Police officer should get his job back after a use-of-force incident. Officer Adam Huot was terminated after the 2017 incident where he was caught on body cam video dragging a handcuffed man through the skywalk before the man hit his…

DEA to Expand Into Northeastern Minnesota

2 DEA agents will now be stationed in Duluth to combat opioids, meth, and other drugs

DULUTH, Minn. – The Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will soon be expanding into the Duluth area. Two DEA agents will now be stationed in Northeastern Minnesota, embedded with the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. “The addiction is destroying lives, it is disrupting families, it drives up crime and it tears apart our community,” said Duluth Mayor…

Four Suspects Arrested in Grand Rapids Child Kidnapping Incident

A Fifth Suspect has not yet Been Located

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Four suspects have been taken into custody for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of four young children. Authorities say officers were dispatched to a call of a parental kidnapping in an apartment in the 300 Block of 4th Avenue South in St. Cloud early Wednesday morning. According to reports, officers determined the father, along with…

Suspect in Fatal Hibbing Shooting Charged With First Degree Murder

He is Scheduled to Appear in Court on September 12

HIBBING, Minn. – The suspect connected to a Hibbing murder last Christmas has now been indicted on a first degree murder charge. According to court records, 30-year-old Jerome Diante Spann has already pleaded not guilty to a second degree murder charge and second-degree assault charge on June 5. Spann is accused of shooting two victims last December in the 2400…

Court of Appeals Rules Duluth Officer Fired for Misuse of Force Be Reinstated

Officer Adam Huot closer to returning to force after being fired back in May 2017.

DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth Police Officer who was fired after dragging a handcuffed man through the skywalk system and hitting his head on a doorway back in May of 2017 could be reinstated. On Tuesday the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed an earlier ruling that an arbitrator’s decision to reinstate Officer Adam Huot does not violate public policy. The fate…

Pedestrian Struck, 3 Wounded by Gunfire Outside State Fair

One Victime is in Critical Condition at Regions Hospital

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – St. Paul police say it was a chaotic close to the Minnesota State Fair as a pedestrian was struck by a car and three men were wounded by gunfire. Authorities say an altercation broke out about 10:20 p.m. Monday outside a fair gate and a woman was hit by a vehicle. She’s in critical condition…

Shooting In Maple, Wisconsin: Three Detained, One Victim Hospitalized

MAPLE, Wis. — The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed an afternoon shooting in Maple, Wisconsin. Deputies responded to reports of shots fired shortly before 4 p.m. on Monday on Pellman Loop Road, where they found one man with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim, a 29 year-old man from Maple, was airlifted to a hospital in Duluth. His injuries from…

Prosecutor’s Office Clears Officers in Fatal Ashland Shooting

ASHLAND, Wis. – A prosecutor’s office in Ashland County has cleared law enforcement officers of any wrongdoing in the May 22 fatal officer involved shooting. According to authorities, on May 22 U.S. Marshal Officers and local law enforcement attempted to arrest 33-year-old Joseph Tedrick who had a federal warrant. While attempting to apprehend Tedrick, he entered a vehicle and struck…

Former Ashland Police Officer Charged In Auto Theft Case

He is Due in Court on September 16 in Ashland County

ASHLAND, Wis. – The 18-year veteran of the Ashland Police Department accused of stealing a vehicle in April has been charged with one count of Drive or Operate Vehicle Without Owner’s Consent-Abandon Vehicle. Authorities say Ty Juoni, 50, stole a vehicle from a residence in the 100 Block of 7th Avenue East in the early morning hours of April 28….

Gonvick Woman Charged With Criminal Vehicular Homicide

GONVICK, Minn. – A 47-year-old Gonvick woman has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide after authorities say she backed over and killed her boyfriend with her vehicle after a night of drinking. Authorities say Beth Rose Windus has been charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide in the death of her boyfriend Jonathon Sundquist, 51, of Proctor. According to…

Police: Man Falls Into Creek Running From Attempted Robbery

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth police are investigating an attempted robbery that left a man seriously injured. Police say the 26-year-old victim fell into the creek near the 500 block of Lincoln Park Drive while running away from the suspects. Investigators believe the suspects are known to the victim. No arrests had been made Sunday. The victim’s injuries are not life…

Update: Son Charged in Deaths of Ex-NFL Lineman, Wife

Both Bennetts Were Shot According to Police

(courtesy: Fox 9) LONG PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Authorities in Minnesota have charged the son of former NFL lineman Barry Bennett in Bennett’s death. Barry Bennett and his wife, Carol, were found dead in their home in Long Prairie, a small town about two hours northwest of Minneapolis, on Wednesday. Their 22-year-old son Dylan has been sought since then. Both…

Deer River man Charged with Second Degree Murder

His next court appearance is scheduled for September 3

ITASCA COUNTY, Minn. – A 28-year-old Deer River man, identified as Kevin Daniel Jackson, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend’s 4-year-old son in Inger earlier this week. Authorities say they responded to a call of a non-responsive four-year-old boy around 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. When officers arrived they found a child being held by…

Former Vikings Player Barry Bennett, Wife Found Dead in Minnesota

22-Year-Old Dylan Bennett is Being Sought by Police

(courtesy: Fox 9) LONG PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) – Authorities in Minnesota are investigating the deaths of a former NFL lineman and his wife under what they call suspicious circumstances. The bodies of Barry Bennett, 63, and his wife Carol were found Wednesday after a friend went to their home in Long Prairie for a welfare check. Todd County Sheriff Todd…

Eau Claire man Accused of Threatening Workplace Shooting

Pinkham Admitted to Texting That he was Going to Kill Everyone

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) – An Eau Claire man is charged with threatening to shoot up his workplace. A criminal complaint filed in Eau Claire County Circuit Court says 31-year-old Kevin Pinkham told a co-worker at Menards Distribution Center on August 15 that he planned to “shoot up the place.” The complaint says Pinkham admitted to texting his girlfriend that…

School Staff Member Accused of Sexually Assaulting Student

Roznowski is due Back in Court September 5

Courtney Roznowski GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – A staff member at a Green Bay high school is accused of sexually assaulting a male student. Thirty-one-year-old Courtney Roznowski, a paraprofessional at Southwest High School, appeared in court Wednesday on sexual assault charges. A police report says Roznowski and the 16-year-old boy denied having a sexual relationship when confronted earlier this week….

2 Homes Struck By Stray Bullets During Shooting Incident in Lincoln Park

DULUTH, Minn. – A 20-year-old man is behind bars after a shooting in Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood left two random homes with bullet holes. Stray bullet that ended up in a random home after a shooting incident in Lincoln Park Tuesday. The impact of a stray bullet that entered a woman’s home in Lincoln Park during a shooting incident outside. The…

‘Miracle on Ice’ Member Arrested on Assault Charges

Pavelich is due Back in Court October 28

COOK COUNTY, Minn. – A member of the 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice’ Olympic hockey team has been arrested on multiple charges including felony assault. Authorities say 61-year-old Mark Pavelich assaulted his Cook County neighbor with a metal pole causing serious injury. According to the criminal complaint, the attack happened in Pavelich’s home in the Lutsen area last Thursday. He is…

Man Charged in Duluth Heroin Drug Bust

Bail was set at $100,000

DULUTH, Minn. – A 26-year-old Chicago man was arrested in Duluth Tuesday on drug sales charges. According to investigators, Juron Carter was arrested in the 300 Block of North 2nd Avenue East for First Degree Sale of Heroin. Duluth Police, along with members of the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, found Carter to be in possession of…

Medical Examiner Rules Epstein Death a Suicide by Hanging

He was Found Dead August 10

NEW YORK (AP) – New York City’s medical examiner has ruled Jeffrey Epstein’s death a suicide. The medical examiner’s office said in a statement Friday that an autopsy and other evidence confirms the 66-year-old financier hanged himself in his cell at a federal jail. Epstein was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving underage girls. Epstein was placed on…

Iron Range Murder Trial Postponed

The Trial Will Begin on October 21

Deshon Bonnell HIBBING, Minn. – The trial for a suspect in an Iron Range murder case has been pushed back. According to court records, the order of a speedy trial was removed for 18-year-old Deshon Bonnell who is charged in the shooting death of 33-year-old Joshua LaValley in January. LaValley’s body was found by a snowmobiler on the Mesabi Trail…

Former St. Louis County Social Worker Makes First Court Appearance on Sex Assault Charges

His Next Court Appearance is Scheduled for October 8

Michael Bryant DULUTH, Minn. – A former St. Louis County Social Worker accused of demanding sex from a female client made his first court appearance on Wednesday in Duluth. According to court records, 46-year-old Michael Bryant, of Wrenshall, is charged with two counts of third-degree felony criminal sexual conduct. The St. Louis County Attorney’s Office says Bryant was also placed…

Duluth Police: One Arrested in Shots Fired Incident

The Investigation is Ongoing

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth police say an adult male was arrested early Thursday morning after receiving reports of shots fired around 2:49 a.m. Officers were dispatched to the 800 Block of Upham Road where they determined shots had been fired and arrested one adult male in the incident. Authorities say the male is pending formal charges from the St. Louis…

Minnesota man who Held “Death Party” for Wife Gets Three Years

Johnson was Given Credit for 201 Days Already Served

NEW ULM, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota man has been sentenced to three years in prison after he said he threw a “death party” for his wife and gave her methamphetamine that killed her. Fifty-nine-year-old Duane Johnson of Searles was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty in June to criminal neglect. Sixty-nine-year-old Debra Johnson was found dead in their home in…

No Contact Order Lifted for Father Accused in Baby’s Death

The no Contact Order had Been in Place Since Friday

STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota judge has lifted a no contact order for a man accused of killing his infant son allowing the defendant to have contact with his pregnant wife. The no contact order had been in place since Friday for 35-year-old Matthew Hoisser of Woodbury. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports a Washington County judge vacated the…

Iowa Pastor Arrested in Minnesota, Charged With Sexually Assaulting Young Girls

The man is Accused of Sexually Assaulting two Young Girls

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Authorities in Minnesota have arrested an Iowa pastor on charges that he sexually assaulted two girls at a home in Omaha, Nebraska. Police in Carlton County, Minnesota, arrested 44-year-old Emanuel J. Rodriguez on Saturday morning on a Douglas County, Nebraska, arrest warrant that charged him with two counts of third-degree sexual assault of a child. The…

Nashwauk man Charged in Fatal hit-and-run Granted Public Defender

Place Will Appear in Court Again on August 19

(Jake Place) ITASCA COUNTY, Minn. – The Nashwauk man charged with two counts of Criminal Vehicular Homicide after he fatally struck a two-year-old boy and critically injured a 16-year-old during a hit-and-run earlier this month has been granted a public defender. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, officers learned a 16-year-old pedestrian was struck while pushing a 2-year-old in a…