FARGO, N.D. — Prosecutors in North Dakota’s first and only death penalty case say defense attorneys are wrong by claiming the judge didn’t go far enough in explaining why he threw out the sentence for Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. He was convicted of killing UND student Dru Sjodin. Judge Ralph Erickson in September ordered a new sentencing phase be conducted, saying…
FARGO (KVRR) – A federal judge has thrown out the death sentence for a man convicted in the 2003 slaying of a North Dakota college student, saying new evidence shows that the medical examiner was “guessing” on the stand and defense lawyers did not adequately explore mental health evidence. Judge Ralph Erickson ruled Friday that misleading testimony from the coroner,…
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (KVRR) – The federal prison where Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. remains on death row has more COVID-19 cases than any other federal prison in the nation. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, there are currently 410 inmates and 3 staff members with confirmed active COVID-19 cases at the U.S. Penitentiary at Terre Haute, Ind. The Terre Haute…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former U.S. Attorney for North Dakota, Drew Wrigley, has his old job back. Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer announcing that the Senate has confirmed Wrigley for the position. President Trump nominated him for U.S. Attorney for North Dakota last August. It’s a role Wrigley served in from 2001 to 2009 before serving as lieutenant governor with Gov….
FARGO, N.D. — President Donald Trump has nominated former Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley to serve as the U.S. Attorney for North Dakota. It’s a role Wrigley served in from 2001 to 2009 before serving as lieutenant governor with Gov. Jack Dalrymple. Wrigley’s highest profile case was the 2003 murder of UND student Dru Sjodin of Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. The 2006…
Alfonso RodriguezAlfonso RodriguezRead the letter by clicking here FARGO (KFGO) – Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., the man on death row for the 2003 kidnapping and murder of University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin, told federal prosecutors that he wanted to plead guilty to avoid the possibility of being sentenced to death. The information is in a letter obtained by KFGO…
FARGO, N.D. — Forensic scientists are disputing autopsy evidence in the death penalty appeal for Alfonso Rodriguez. One of Rodriguez’s former attorneys took the stand. Forensic experts are disputing male DNA tests done by Dr. Michael McGee when he performed the initial autopsy on UND student Dru Sjodin. Those tests came back positive. This ultimately led to the rape conviction…
Dru SjodinDru SjodinFARGO, N.D. — A hearing in the appeal of a man sentenced to death for killing University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin will delve into gruesome details. Attorneys for Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. are set to argue whether Sjodin was raped and whether she died from wounds to her throat. The defense says both points were used to…
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — A federal judge is being asked to order prosecutors in the Alfonso Rodriguez case to testify under oath about the testimony of a key trial witness. Rodriguez’s public defenders want to question former U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Norm Anderson. They claim that former Ramsey County Medical Examiner, Dr. Michael McGee,…
Prosecutors involved in the final appeal of Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. are asking a judge to allow them to interview a West Fargo attorney with intimate knowledge of his 2006 trial. Prosecutors say Robert Hoy, who was one of Rodriguez’s defense attorneys won’t respond to their requests for a deposition. Rodriguez is currently on death row for the kidnapping and murder…
