Crime

Wisconsin Baby Sitter Charged With Homicide in Baby’s Death

Tietsort Tried to Hide the Death From the Mother

WAUSAU, Wis. – A Wisconsin baby sitter accused of killing a 2-month-old boy has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide. A criminal complaint filed Friday says 28-year-old Marissa Tietsort of Wausau caused the infant’s death in October, then put him in a snowsuit and car seat and let his mother pick him up – without telling her the child was…

Authorities Investigating Suspicious Death in Hibbing

The Death Happened Sunday Evening

UPDATE: Authorities say they are investigating a homicide that occurred Sunday on the Mesabi Trail in Hibbing. A snowmobiler called 911 after finding a male on the snowmobile trail. Officers determined the male to be deceased and has been identified as 33-year-old Joshua Robert Lavalley, of Aurora. The Hibbing Police Department is conducting the investigation with assistance from the Minnesota…

Updated: Duluth Police Arrest Suspect in Park Point ‘Burglary/Assault’

DULUTH, Minn. –  Duluth police announced Sunday night that they have made an arrest of a suspect in what they call an assault and burglary of 70-year-old Larry Watczak in his Park Point home. The crime happened Wednesday, Jan. 2nd at 5:51 p.m. in the home on the 800-block of South Lake Avenue.  Watczak was in critical condition and in…

Duluth Police Release New Details About Park Point Burglaries, Assault

DULUTH, Minn. – A 70-year-old Park Point man is the victim of an assault after his home was burglarized while he was inside, according to the Duluth Police Department. Police Information Officer Ingrid Hornibrook said late Thursday that another home nearby was also burglarized, along with three other homes that reported “damage to property.”  FOX 21 earlier reported three burglaries…

Davenport Found Guilty of Murder

Sentencing Will Take Place on January 7

DULUTH, Minn. – A jury has found a Duluth man guilty of first degree murder in the February 2017 fatal shooting of 22-year-old UMD student William Grahek. Deandre Davenport, 23, was found guilty on December 28 first degree murder while committing a burglary, first degree murder while committing aggravated robbery and second degree intentional homicide. The verdict could mean a…

Woman In Custody After Man Stabbed Five Times

TOWN OF BASS LAKE, Wis. – A woman is under arrest and accused of stabbing a man at least five times in Sawyer County. The crime happened around 1:40 a.m. Dec. 16 in a home on Poppletown Lane in the Town of Bass Lake. The 27-year-old male victim was stabbed in the head, shoulder, back, chest and calf, according to…

Man Wanted for Assault, Standoff Remains at Large

The man has Three Outstanding Felony Warrants

LITCHFIELD, Minn. – Authorities are looking for a man wanted for domestic assault and a lengthy law enforcement standoff in Meeker County. Sheriff’s officials say a caller who had fled from a home Harvey Township about noon Thursday said a man armed with a revolver remained in the residence. Tactical officers were called to the scene after the man refused…

UPDATE: Victim Identified in Hibbing Homicide

This is an Active Investigation

HIBBING, Minn. – The Hibbing Police Department has identified the victims of the Christmas day shooting as 34-year-old Jeryel Octavius McBeth of Hibbing and 25-year-old Jamien Stukey also of Hibbing. Preliminary autopsy results show that McBeth died as a result of homicidal violence. Authorities responded to reports of a shooting around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 2400 Block of Third…

Hibbing Police Search for ‘Armed and Dangerous’ Suspect in Fatal Shooting

The is an Active Investigation

HIBBING, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Public Safety BCA and the Hibbing Police Department are investigating a fatal Christmas day shooting in Hibbing. According to authorities, officers responded to reports of a shooting just before 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday. When officers arrived they found two individuals suffering from gunshot wounds in the 2400 block of Third Avenue East. A…

Suspect Arrested Following Stolen Vehicle Pursuit in Hermantown

No one was Injured in the Incident

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – A 21-year-old female from Duluth was arrested Tuesday night following a stolen vehicle pursuit in Hermantown. According to the Hermantown Police Department an officer noticed a suspicious vehicle at the Hermantown Walmart which was closed for Christmas. After running the cars plates it was discovered the car was previously reported as stolen out of Duluth. When officers…

Duluth Affinity Plus Credit Union Robbed

DULUTH, Minn. – A robbery was reported Friday afternoon at the Affinity Plus Credit Union on Miller Trunk Highway in Duluth. According to the Duluth Police Department, just after 4 p.m., a person presented a note to the bank teller claiming to have a gun. No gun was seen and the person left with an undisclosed amount of money. A…

School Choir Director Admits to Sexually Assaulting Students

Prosecutors Will Dismiss 14 Other Charges

LA CROSSE, Wis. – A man who served as a choir director for the La Crosse School District has admitted to sexually assaulting students. Thirty-four-year-old Dustin Bagstad on Monday pleaded guilty to five counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child in a plea deal under which prosecutors will dismiss 14 other charges. The criminal complaint says Bagstad committed sex…

Police: Student who Assaulted Campus Instructors had gun

The Incident Took Place at Normandale Community College in Bloomington

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.- Bloomington police say a student at Normandale Community College who allegedly assaulted two faculty members during a classroom dispute had a gun in his backpack. Authorities say the 21-year-old St. Paul man on Wednesday struck a 51-year-old female instructor several times and also assaulted a 47-year-old male faculty member who intervened. The student fled but was apprehended in…

Cass County Man Charged With Fatal Stabbing of his Mother

His Next Court Date is December 17

CASS COUNTY, Minn. – A 34-year-old Cass County man has been charged with second degree murder, among other charges, after deputies say the man allegedly stabbed his mother at her residence in Bena. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of an unresponsive female at a residence in the City of Bena on November 28….

Jury Convicts Snowmobiler in Crash That Killed Minnesota boy

Coleman's Blood-Alcohol Level was More Than Twice Legal Limit

CENTER CITY, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota jury has convicted a snowmobiler who struck and killed an 8-year-old boy on Chisago Lake. Jurors on Tuesday convicted Eric Coleman, of Chisago City, of third-degree murder, drunken driving, criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation. Coleman’s attorneys conceded he was guilty of the other charges, but not murder. The crash last January…

Chief: Duluth’s 4th Homicide Of 2018 Is Not A ‘Trend or Pattern’

DULUTH, Minn. – Monday’s shooting death of Kevin Weiss, 35, in the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood is the fourth homicide in Duluth in 2018, but Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken says “an uptick of one or two does not constitute a sustained trend or pattern.” Tusken goes on to say, “It is an increase and yet we acknowledge it is difficult…

Gymnastics Coach Accepts Plea Deal in Child Porn Case

Sentencing is Scheduled for February 15

RACINE, Wis. – A Wind Lake gymnastics studio owner and coach accused of possessing child pornography and placing a recording device in the bathroom of his facility has accepted a plea deal and avoided trial scheduled for this week. Authorities say they retrieved nearly 200 videos from 50-year-old James Kivisto’s computer recorded in the bathroom of the Wind Lake Gymnastics…

Judge Commits man Accused of Rampage During Peace Gathering

Attendees Used Duct Tape to Restrain the man

MINNEAPOLIS – A Northfield man accused of going on a drug-crazed rampage during an annual peace gathering in Superior National Forest has been committed to a treatment center. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that 21-year-old Spencer Fredrickson allegedly raped a woman, bit off part of a man’s finger and attacked a sheriff’s deputy at the late-August Rainbow Gathering. Authorities say…

Man Arrested After Fatal Shooting in Gary-New Duluth

This Is Duluth's 4th Homicide Of 2018

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth police are investigating after a man was shot and killed Monday evening on the 100 block of West Reis Street in the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood. The call for help came in around 6:15 p.m. of a report of a male victim shot by another male, according to a press release by the Duluth Police Department. The…

Woman Accused of Hiding Overdose Victim in Crawlspace

The Woman has Been Charged With Four Felonies

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – A Sheboygan woman is accused of running a drug house and hiding the corpse of an overdose victim in a crawlspace, along with stealing his ID and debit card. Police acting on tips found the body of 30-year-old Matthew Mercure in Mullens’ apartment on Nov. 20. Andrea Mullens has since been charged with four felonies and one…

King Sentenced to Life in UMD Student Murder Case

King was Sentenced on Thursday in Brainerd

DULUTH, Minn. – Noah King has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of UMD student William Grahek. Judge Mark Munger upheld the mandatory life sentence, with parole possible after 30 years, on Thursday for aiding and abetting first degree intentional murder while trying to commit a burglary. King was found guilty of aiding and abetting first degree…

Man Beaten At Duluth Transportation Center

While Found Unresponsive, Victim Only Suffered "Minor Scrapes And Bruises"

DULUTH, Minn. –  Duluth police are investigating after a man was punched and kicked in the head at the Duluth Transportation Center at 228 W. Michigan Street. The call was reported to police at 8:24 p.m. Monday. When police arrived, they found the man unresponsive before he was taken by ambulance to the hospital for treatment, according police. The victim…

Trial Begins in Brainerd for Suspect in UMD Student Murder Case

Davenport is Accused of Killing Grahek Last February

DULUTH, Minn. – Jury trial proceedings are expected to begin in Brainerd today for a 23-year-old suspect charged with first degree murder in the death of a UMD student last year. Deandre Davenport is accused of shooting and killing 22-year-old William Grahek in February 2017. Davenport is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of intentional second-degree murder…

Duluth Police ask for Public’s Help Identifying Theft Suspect

Call the Duluth Police Department if you Have any Information

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying a burglary suspect. A suspect caught on a home security camera is accused of taking multiple items on Thursday including a 2012 Volkswagen Passat with Wisconsin license plate number 634THP. The car may have some damage to it as it appears the suspect hit another…

Five Charged With Providing Alcohol to Teen in Fatal Fall

Morris was not a Student

BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Beltrami County prosecutors say they’ve charged five people in connection with the death of a teen who fell to his death from the seventh floor of a Bemidji State University dormitory. The county attorney’s office says five men have been charged with two gross misdemeanor counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor. Nineteen-year-old Isaac Jon Morris,…

Names of Suspect, Officers Released in Bemidji Officer Involved Shooting

BEMIDJI, Minn. – New details have been released about an officer involved shooting in Bemidji on Wednesday. 34-year-old Andrew John May of Rice Lake has been identified as the suspect shot and killed by law enforcement. The two officers who discharged their firearms are Deputy Brandon Newhouse of the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office and Officer Bidal Duran of the Bemidji…

Update: Names Released in Bemidji Officer Involved Shooting

The Officers Involved are on Standard Administrative Leave

BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has identified the officer and deputy who fatally shot an armed suspect following a struggle over a gun. Officer Bidal Duran with the Bemidji Police Department and Deputy Brandon Newhouse with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Officer are both on standard administrative leave following the incident. The deceased armed suspect has also been…

Three Charged in Connection to Superior Daytime Burglaries

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Three individuals have been charged in connection to three of the six burglaries that took place earlier this month in Superior. Officials say they are aware of at least six burglaries in the Superior area all of which happened in the daytime. Some of the victims reported items stolen, while in some cases, the crime was stopped…

Man Arrested in Connection to Bena Homicide and Assault

The Death was Ruled Homicide due to Stab Wounds

CASS COUNTY, Minn. – A 34-year-old Bena man has been arrested in connection with a November 28 homicide as well as a November 27 assault at a local bar. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of an unresponsive female at a residence in the City of Bena on Wednesday. When officers arrived on scene…

Charges: Man Shot to Scare Fawn, Killed Ex-Police Chief

Dodd is due in Court Friday

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. – Prosecutors have charged a hunter with manslaughter for fatally shooting a former police chief in a rural part of northwestern Minnesota. The Becker County Attorney’s office on Thursday charged 54-year-old Morris Silas Dodd Jr. of rural Ogema with one count of second-degree manslaughter. According to the complaint, Dodd acknowledged hunting in the area where 53-year-old former…

Suspect Fatally Shot by Officer, Deputy in Bemidji

The Officer and Deputy are on Standard Administrative Leave

BEMIDJI, Minn. – Authorities say law enforcement officers in northern Minnesota have fatally shot an armed suspect following a struggle over a gun. Police in Bemidji say the shooting happened Wednesday about 11 p.m. after an officer made a traffic stop and determined a passenger in the vehicle had a warrant for an arrest on an undisclosed allegation. A Beltrami…

More Details Emerge in Officer Involved Shooting in Virginia

Possible Hostage Situation Caused Police to Shoot Suspect

VIRGINIA, Minn.-State officials say one person has died after being shot by a law enforcement officer in northeastern Minnesota. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says the shooting happened Tuesday in Virginia. Local police and St. Louis County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of suspicious activity and found someone in the street. The BCA hasn’t said what prompted an officer…

Man Accused of Threatening Teens with gun in McDonald’s Released

A Twitter Video About the Incident Viewed Widely Online

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – A man accused of threatening some teenagers with a gun inside a McDonald’s in Eden Prairie has been released from jail. Prosecutors say they’re still weighing possible charges against the 55-year-old Lloyd Edward Johnson who has been in the Hennepin County Jail since last week. A Somali teenager told the Star Tribune that she confronted a…

Nicholson Sentenced in West Duluth Stabbing Case

Nicholson Stabbed a man in his Apartment More Than a Dozen Times

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth man accused of breaking into another man’s apartment and stabbing him more than a dozen times has been sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for first-degree assault. In January, Willie Nicholson, 24, broke into the apartment of 20-year-old Benjamins VanDell to find a place to sleep and attacked VanDell with a knife after a phone…