Pelican Rapids Man Charged With Kidnapping & Sexually Assaulting Fergus Falls Woman

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – A Pelican Rapids man charged with the sexual assault and kidnapping of a rural Fergus Falls woman appeared in court on Tuesday.

39-year-old Anthony Randklev was charged with three counts of criminal sexual conduct and one count each for kidnapping, burglary, possession of a firearm by a felon, false imprisonment and fleeing.

Police say he kidnapped a rural Fergus Falls woman at gunpoint on Sunday and sexually assaulted her before leading police on a high speed chase up until his arrest.

Randklev was previously convicted in both Grant and Otter Tail Counties for similar charges involving kidnapping and sexual assault.

“His egregious behavior, repeated public safety concerns, and now looking at the future for sentencing so we can keep him longer. Last occasion it wasn’t obviously enough. 51 months isn’t enough for Mr. Randklev, so I’m looking at anything and everything to give him the longest term possible,” Otter Tail County Attorney Michelle Eldien said.

Bail was set at $5 million for an unrestricted release, but for a restricted release of $2 million he has to submit to random drug testing and has to stay away from the victim, her family and her home.

“Hopefully that is not an amount he can post and we keep him here, get everything resolved, hopefully him sentenced successfully, and as I indicated, some of the sentencing things I’m looking at, for a long period of time, if not life,” Eldien said.

Randklev was recently under a court-ordered supervised release, which expired last month.

It was an email that the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office received from the Department of Corrections as well as information from the victim’s family that led them to zero in on Radklev.

“Without that information from the DOC and the family members, we might not have looked at him right away. We eventually would have because of his sex offender status, but not as quickly as we would have without that information,” Fergus Falls Police Lt. Keith Van Dyke said.

If convicted of any of the criminal sexual assault charges, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Randklev’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 31st.