Crime

Former Wells County Sheriff Released from Custody

He abruptly resigned from office last month

WELLS COUNTY, ND — The former Wells County Sheriff has been released from jail after being arrested on drug charges. Johnny Lawson, 41, was arrested Friday and released from jail on Tuesday on a promise to appear in court. Lawson is charged with conspiracy to deliver meth, bribery, providing false information to a law enforcement officer, neglect of duty by…

Former Bemidji Assistant Principal Facing Federal Child Exploitation Charges

He is charged with the production and distribution of child porn and enticement of a minor

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A former Bemidji assistant principal now faces federal child sexual exploitation charges. Brandon Bjerknes, 34, was arrested Tuesday and appeared today in U.S. District Court in St. Paul. He is charged with the production and distribution of child porn and enticement of a minor. Court documents show Bjerknes posed online as a 13 to 15-year-old male…

Delaware Woman Found Dead in Kittson County

She had been reported missing a day earlier

  KITTSON COUNTY, Minn. — Authorities say a woman who may have been trying to reach Canada was found dead in northwestern Minnesota. Kittson County officials say 57-year-old Mavis Otuteye was found Friday in a field a half-mile from the Canadian border near Noyes. She had been reported missing a day earlier. They believe Otuteye, who had been living in…

More Charges Possible in Alleged Genital Mutilation of Minnesota Girls

The disclosure was made during a hearing about the sharing of evidence

  MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — More charges could be coming in an investigation of alleged genital mutilation on Minnesota girls by members of a Muslim sect. An assistant U.S. attorney told a judge that she’s meeting with a grand jury next week. She didn’t elaborate. The disclosure was made during a hearing about the sharing of evidence. Three people, including two…

Police Investigating Body Found in Dilworth Walmart Parking Lot

Sharpe says there were no signs of foul play

  DILWORTH, Minn. — The body of a man was found inside a vehicle in the parking lot of Walmart in Dilworth. Police Chief Ty Sharpe says the store called a towing company to remove the vehicle which had been in the parking lot for several days. As the operator attempted to move the vehicle, he discovered the body covered…

Two People Injured in Shooting in Naytahwaush

They were taken to Mahnomen Health Center before being airlifted to Sanford in Fargo

  NAYTAHWAUSH, Minn. — Two people are in stable condition in Fargo after being shot in Naytahwaush. Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call just before 10 o’clock last night reporting that a person had been shot. When they arrived, they found two people with gunshot wounds including a 21-year-old man from Minneapolis and a 23 year-old woman from…

UPDATE: I-94 Westbound Left Lane Open, Right Lane Still Closed

The driver of the semi had minor injuries and the crash is under investigation

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — Sgt. Jesse Grabow reports the left lane of I-94 westbound near Fergus Falls is now open for traffic flow. The right lane is still closed for cleanup.   PREVIOUS CONTENT: I-94 westbound lanes are shut down after an accident near Fergus Falls. Sgt. Jesse Grabow with the Minnesota State Patrol says traffic is being diverted to…

St. Paul Man Charged In Beatings Outside Hodo

43-year old Darren Patterson is accused of getting into a fight with the others Saturday night at the Hodo Restaurant and Lounge on Broadway.

Darren PattersonFARGO (KFGO) – A St. Paul man is free on $100,000 bond after being charged with felony counts of aggravated assault that left two men with serious head injuries in a fight outside a downtown Fargo bar. 43-year old Darren Patterson is accused of getting into a fight with the others Saturday night at the Hodo Restaurant and Lounge…

The Ashley Hunter Trial: Nurse Testifies to Hunter’s Alleged Admission to Crime

The medical examiner who conducted autopsies on the victims also took the stand

FARGO, ND — The medical examiner who conducted autopsies on the victims in a 2015 double murder in Fargo said the injuries on the men match the statement that murder suspect Ashley Hunter gave police. Last Thursday, jurors watched a tape where Hunter admitted to the crimes and goes into detail about stabbing one victim and hitting the other with…

Judge Orders Evaluation for Fargo Man Accused of Endangering His Neighbors

Firefighters hosed down the exterior to protect neighboring trailers

FARGO, ND — A Cass County judge has ordered a mental health evaluation for a Fargo man accused of endangering his neighbors by setting his house on fire last winter. John Leach appeared in Cass County District Court on felony endangerment by fire charges. He admitted to a Fargo police officer that he burned down his mobile home in the…