Minnesota News Network

The medical examiner has ruled that Scottish singer and actor Darius Campbell Danesh, found unresponsive in a Rochester apartment August 11th, died from inhaling chloroethane and suffocation. The Star Tribune reports authorities say they found “no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances.” The family told U-K press that Danesh had taken chloroethane for chronic pain resulting from a 2010 car crash in Spain in which he suffered a broken neck. It’s not clear why Danesh was in Rochester or how long he’d been there. Chloroethane, or ethyl chloride, has been a popular inhalant street drug since the 1980s. Brief inhalations can cause drunk-like feelings but more significant doses can be fatal.

A Stearns County jury has found a man from Richmond in central Minnesota guilty of a series of bias crimes against a bi-racial family in Cold Spring. 33-year-old Benton Beyer was charged with vandalizing the family’s property, stalking them, and then crashing a vehicle into their home because he believed his girlfriend had cheated on him with a black man. Investigators say in July of last year, Beyer stole an S-U-V, pointed it at the family’s house, used a large piece of granite to hold down the accelerator, and fled as it crashed into the dwelling. His defense attorney argued the state had “tunnel vision” and tried to make evidence fit their narrative. Beyer is being held without bail until sentencing on November 18th.

 

A judge in western Wisconsin’s Saint Croix County ruled today (Fri) there’s probable cause to proceed with prosecution of a Twin Cities man accused of fatally stabbing a teenager from Stillwater during a confrontation involving tubers on the Apple River. 52-year-old Nicolae Miu from Prior Lake faces one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. Testifying at today’s hearing was Saint Croix County Sheriff Brandie Hart, who described a chaotic scene in a three-minute video from late July. Miu told investigators he was acting in self-defense. He’s hired the attorney who successfully defended teenager Kyle Rittenhouse after he shot and killed two men during rioting two years ago in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

A legislative auditor’s report concludes the state Human Services Department did not adequately oversee distribution of tens of millions of dollars in grants to the homeless and others needing housing assistance. The audit found weaknesses in the agency’s internal controls and violations of the state’s legal requirements. Commissioner Jodi Harpstead says the Human Services Department has been “working diligently” to improve its grant-making process, but adds it’s important to consider the pressures her agency faced during the pandemic to provide assistance to people in need. Deputy House Minority Leader, North Branch Republican Anne Neu Brindley says, “Waste, fraud, and abuse have plagued DHS programs for years, and once again an audit has found that the Walz administration failed to protect taxpayer dollars.”

The state Board of Animal Health says HPAI bird flu has been confirmed in a commercial turkey operation in Meeker County in central Minnesota and the flock has been euthanized to help prevent spread of the virus. A senior veterinarian with the state’s animal health department says they’ve been preparing for a resurgence of bird flu, but this outbreak came sooner than expected. They’re urging flock owners to review biosecurity measures.

A federal judge has sentenced a man from Red Lake to nearly 20 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault. Prosecutors say in November 2020, 30-year-old John Sayers offered a ride to the victim who was walking on the road, but instead of taking her to her destination, drove her to a camper near a hemp shop where he worked. Investigators say when the victim resisted Sayers’ advances, he hit and strangled her until she passed out, then sexually assaulted her. Sayers pleaded guilty in April.