>>MPD Finds Missing Pair of Siblings
(Minneapolis, MN) — Two missing siblings in Minneapolis are safe. Police originally posted to Facebook saying 13-year-old Deneja Morse and her 12-year-old brother Alonzo were last seen getting off a bus Thursday and hadn’t been seen since.
>>West St. Paul Man Sentenced for Fatal Stabbing
(West St. Paul, Minn) – A 43-year-old West St. Paul man who fatally stabbed his housemate in an adult group home was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison. John C. Adams was convicted in the stabbing death of 68-year-old David Rahn. The crime happened back in February 2020. Rahn died from multiple stab wounds to the neck and back. Adams was found guilty of second-degree murder by a Dakota County jury.
>>Court Rules Against House Rep. Candidate Curtis Johnson
(St. Paul, MN) – House Republican leaders are speaking out after a Minnesota District Court ruled that DFL candidate Curtis Johnson lied about his residency during the campaign, and he will be denied his seat in the upcoming legislature. This means for the moment, the Republicans are holding a 67-66 lead. In reaction, GOP House Speaker-Designate Lisa Demuth says, “There was enough evidence presented that we are grateful that the judge ruled in this way, a fair way. It is incredibly important to recognize that our laws matter and the integrity of our election process is non-negotiable. That’s what we saw in the ruling today.” Johnson can appeal the decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court in the next ten days. If a special election is needed to fill the seat in District 40B, Demuth says it would take a minimum of 45 days before that election could be held, which would be after the opening of the legislative session.
>>ND AG Wrigley Believes Finding UnitedHealthcare Shooter Guilty Will be Difficult
(Undated) – North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley believes the legal process of finding 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, the suspected shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, guilty of capital murder will be complex and lengthy. Wrigley compares it to the death penalty case he led against Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. for the 2003 kidnapping and murder of Dru Sjodin, a Minnesota woman who attended the University of North Dakota. Wrigley states, “You have to be able to provide compelling evidence to the Justice Department that not only prove the offense…but that you’ll be able to allege and prove beyond reasonable doubt, at least one aggravating factor.” He petitioned for the death penalty due to Sjodin’s body being moved from Grand Forks to Crookston, an interstate crime. After spending time on death row, a judge imposed a life prison term instead, citing concerns with some expert testimony at the trial.
>>Former MN Gov. Pawlenty Appointed to Board of Directors at Essentia Health
(Duluth, MN) — Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has been appointed as one of seven new members of the Board of Directors at Essentia Health. Pawlenty, a Republican, served two terms as Governor and was previously a state representative. He has extensive experience, having served on the boards of several businesses and organizations. Essentia Health, based in Duluth, operates 14 hospitals, 78 clinics, 25 retail pharmacies, long-term care facilities, assisted living centers, seven ambulance services, and one research institute, employing approximately 15,500 people.
>>3 Twin Cities Men Indicted in Narcotics Fraud Conspiracy
(Minneapolis, MN) — Three Twin Cities men each face one count of conspiracy to obtain controlled substances through fraud. From December 2022 through around August 3rd, 2023, Rayjuan Varner, 23, Oscar Becerra-Ruiz, 21, and Jasper Johnson used paid internet-based record searches to secure identifying information about physicians in Minnesota and Wisconsin. From there, Johnson would use this information to access the DEA’s Registrant Information Consolidated System (RICS) and change different doctors’ contact information, like phone numbers, email, and physical addresses, to those the suspects controlled. They would then order dozens of prescription medications, including promethazine with codeine. Johnson faces an additional 17 charges.
