MOORHEAD POLICE DEPARTMENT

Holiday drunken driving enforcement nets dozens of arrests in western Minnesota

Forum staff — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 18:48:03 GMT

MOORHEAD — Dozens of drivers were arrested for driving while impaired throughout western Minnesota during a holiday enforcement period.

The enforcement, which ran from Nov. 27 to Dec. 31, yielded 2,079 arrests for driving while impaired across Minnesota, the state Department of Public Safety said in a Friday, Jan. 17, release.

According to data shared with the release:

The Minnesota State Patrol’s Detroit Lakes district reported 18 DWI arrests, including one of a driver with a 0.28% blood alcohol content.

The Becker County Sheriff's Office arrested 13 drivers for DWI, the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office arrested 10 and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested two.

Police departments in Moorhead, Hawley and Dilworth reported six, two and one DWI arrests, respectively.

The Department of Public Safety's Office of Traffic Safety coordinated the statewide enforcement with funding from the National Highway Safety Administration, the release said.

“To those sober drivers I say thank you; it really was a gift. For those who chose to drive impaired, we’re grateful to our law enforcement partners who are relentlessly protecting Minnesotans from those reckless decisions,” Office of Traffic Safety Director Mike Hanson said in the release.

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Police make new plea for information in killing of Tom Bearson a decade ago

Robin Huebner — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 12:31:00 GMT

MOORHEAD — The Moorhead Police Department has issued a new plea for information about the unsolved killing of college student Tom “Tommy” Bearson, exactly 10 years after the crime occurred.

That plea asks people to report behavioral changes they may have seen in those familiar with what happened to Bearson, including altered appearances, unexplained injuries or someone suddenly leaving the area after Bearson’s death.

Bearson, 18, from Sartell, Minnesota, was a freshman at North Dakota State University in Fargo when he died by homicidal violence on Sept. 20, 2014.

Bearson was last seen with friends and fellow students at a house party near campus in the early morning hours that day.

His body was found in the parking lot of an RV Sales business at 3002 24th Ave. S., Moorhead, several days later.

Father Greg Bearson said losing Tom is as hard now as it was then.

“At the 10-year mark, this is just another opportunity for the people involved to make things right, so all of us can kind of move on and try to find peace in our lives,” he said during a recent interview with The Forum from his home in Sartell.

“Not a day goes by when I don't think of him,” he added.

While police maintain it is not a “cold case,” the crime has yet to be solved.

Moorhead police did not grant media interviews the week prior to Friday, Sept. 20, but Capt. Deric Swenson issued a news release stating police believe there is information about Bearson’s time at NDSU and the circumstances of his death that haven’t been shared.

Investigators remain open to all possible scenarios, the release said, and DNA technology advancements have led investigators to review previously collected evidence.

Police said people familiar with what happened to Bearson may have shown changes in behavior after the fact to include:

Altering of physical appearance, such as change in hair color or cut, growth or removal of facial hair Change in normal routine, which might include missing work, classes or appointments Unexplained injuries such as cuts and bruises on hands during the period from when Bearson was last seen alive and when his body was found Sudden departure from the area after Bearson’s death A change in mood or displays of anxiety, nervousness or irritability Cleaning of vehicles Intense interest or noticeable disinterest in the investigation, or an unexplained knowledge of the situation

Bearson’s death was classified as homicidal violence, ruling out accident, suicide or natural causes, and cause of death as asphyxia, or oxygen deprivation.

Though the people Bearson was with that night spoke with Moorhead police when he was missing, they have not spoken with law enforcement since, family members have said.

Moorhead police thanked those who have cooperated and said officers will likely ask for help again.

People who have information often don’t come forward because they think it’s not important or may have previously been shared, the release said.

There may also be hesitation due to close relationships with those who may have been involved or out of concern for their own safety or reputation.

People may also be unknowingly brought into a situation by others; relationships and loyalties can change, as do people and their perspectives, the release said.

Police asked anyone with information to contact them, no matter how insignificant they think the information might be or whether they think police already know about it.

Tips may be shared through a designated phone line at 218-299-5119 or sent by email to bearson@moorheadmn.gov.

Anonymous tips may be sent via text message to Moorhead police by texting the tip and keyword TIPMOORHEAD to 84741.

Moorhead police have received assistance in their investigation from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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10 years after Tom Bearson was killed, his dad says now is the time to 'make things right'

Robin Huebner — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 12:31:00 GMT

MOORHEAD — Family and friends of Tom Bearson wonder what he would be doing today. Would he have become the nurse anesthetist he hoped to be? Would he have his own family?

They also think about the young man he would have been at age 28.

Ten years ago this week, the life of 18-year-old Tom “Tommy” Bearson from Sartell, Minnesota, a freshman at North Dakota State University, was cut tragically short.

Father Greg Bearson said losing Tom is as hard now as it was then.

“We've missed out on whatever life he was going to have and what that would have meant to our family,” he said during a recent interview with The Forum from his home in Sartell.

“Not a day goes by when I don't think of him,” he added.

Longtime friend Sam Neeser, 29, said this 10-year mark puts into perspective the experiences Tom missed.

“As kids in college, I don't really think we understood the weight of that,” Neeser said.

Tom Bearson was deemed missing in the early morning hours of Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014, after leaving a house party near the NDSU campus.

A mysterious tweet, posted around 1:20 a.m. to Bearson's then-Twitter account by someone he may have been with, hinted at some kind of danger.

Bearson’s body was found three days later in the parking lot of an RV dealership in Moorhead, about five miles from the house party in Fargo.

The manner of death was classified as homicidal violence, meaning investigators ruled out accident, suicide or natural causes, while the cause of death was classified as asphyxia, or oxygen deprivation.

Though the people Tom Bearson was with that night initially spoke with Moorhead police when he was missing, they did not speak with law enforcement after Bearson’s body was found.

Moorhead police have said for years that this remains an active case.

Capt. Deric Swenson said the department plans to comment on the Bearson investigation through a statement on Friday, Sept. 20, and declined an interview.

Greg Bearson said he and Moorhead police are in frequent contact, and his family is supportive of their work.

“We absolutely know that they care about Tom and our family and are doing everything humanly possible. … That helps us sleep at night,” he said.

Greg Bearson said he believes the universe has a way of revealing the truth over time.

“At the 10-year mark, this is just another opportunity for the people involved to make things right, so all of us can kind of move on and try to find peace in our lives,” he said.

'A heavy burden'

Previous reporting by The Forum established that Bearson left his room at Reed Hall around 10 p.m. that Friday night in September 2014 but did not indicate to his roommate where he was going.

At some point, Bearson met up with high school friend Jake Wenzel, and at 1:23 a.m. Saturday, a message was posted on social media from Bearson’s phone that tagged Cody Mead, Wenzel’s roommate, The Forum previously reported.

It read: “dude it’s jake come pick us up. … We are so lost and we are going to die. Just get somebody.”

Bearson and Wenzel eventually made it to the house where Wenzel lived at 824 14th St. N. in Fargo, about six blocks south of Reed Hall.

Police have said Tom Bearson was last seen leaving the house party around 3:40 a.m.

One of Bearson's shoes and his cellphone were never found.

In July 2015, Greg Bearson and his wife Debbie encouraged people who were with Tom that night to cooperate with police and take a polygraph test.

Police would not confirm whether polygraph tests have been used in this case.

“We're talking about a crime here. … It's a big deal for when it goes to trial or whatever, all those things matter. That's why everybody has to be so careful,” Greg Bearson told The Forum.

The people responsible for Tom Bearson’s death might have "perfect lives" including good jobs and families now, his father said, but must feel tremendous guilt.

“It’s got to be a heavy burden to carry. At least in my mind, the only path for real peace is if they're ever able to admit guilt. Until then, they're just lying. They're just living a lie,” Greg Bearson said.

He and his wife have managed to find some of their own peace through the nonprofit Tom Bearson Foundation, which raised about a half-million dollars over eight years, he said.

The foundation also partnered with the city of Sartell to build the Tom Bearson Memorial basketball courts in a city park in 2022.

Tom Bearson was a standout high school basketball player in the central Minnesota town, graduating in the spring of 2014.

The foundation helped Greg Bearson, his wife and their 30-year-old daughter Maddie cope with grief and gave them an outpouring of support.

Since the foundation reached its goals, the family announced that it was closing the nonprofit after the memorial courts were opened and dedicated in August 2023.

'Sadness is still there'

Tom Bearson was an integral part of a large core group of friends in Sartell who still think often about what life would be like with him still here.

T.J. Bevans, 28, works as a physician assistant in general surgery at a hospital in St. Cloud.

His father and Greg Bearson are lifelong friends, and their sons were born about 10 days apart, also becoming lifelong friends.

Bevans said Tom had one of the most infectious personalities of anyone he’s ever met.

“When he walked into the room, he was somebody that everyone always wanted to be around,” he said.

Neeser became friends with Tom Bearson in middle school at a basketball camp, and the two lived just down the street from each other in Sartell.

He described his friend first and foremost as funny, someone who wanted to get a smile or a chuckle out of people.

Neeser works for a content marketing company in the Twin Cities where he lives with his wife, 5-month old son and a dog.

Tom Bearson would have been a groomsman in his wedding, he said. Many of the friends are becoming established in their careers and have families of their own.

“These are all things that Tom deserved to experience,” Neeser said.

The bonds go even deeper, as he and his wife gave their son Levi the middle name of Thomas in Bearson’s honor.

Bevans said he’s always thought that time would heal anything — a belief he relied on when his mother died.

He tried to use that as a coping mechanism in the aftermath of Tommy’s death, but it feels different.

“It’s like that stinging feeling, that sadness is still there, even after 10 years,” Bevans said.

Bringing to justice, whenever it comes, the person or people responsible for Tom's death will provide some level of satisfaction, Greg Bearson said, but it will be bittersweet.

"As much as it would mean to us, it still would never bring Tom back," he said.

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Police identify 14-year-old girl killed in Moorhead; suspect admits in warrant to stabbing her

Tasha Carvell — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 20:32:45 GMT

MOORHEAD — A warrant filed in Clay County Seventh District Court for the suspect in the death of a 14-year-old Moorhead girl earlier this week showed the two were quarreling over a recently-ended romantic relationship before he stabbed her multiple times.

Isaac Arndt, 18, of Fargo, initially went to police just after 11 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, to report an assault by an unknown white man who he claimed was following him and the victim, Jaelyn Walker, in Gooseberry Park, according to the warrant. He said Walker had fled the area when the assault started and Arndt was taken to a local hospital to have a cut on his hand treated.

About 90 minutes later Walker's mother filed a missing person report with Moorhead police and directed officers to look for her daughter in a wooded area near a bike trail on Elm Street and Sixth Avenue using Snapchat location services.

Officers found Walker's body in that location. There were "substantial sharp force injuries to her back, torso and neck," the warrant said.

At that time, officers went to the hospital where Arndt was being treated and he agreed to go with them to the Fargo Police Department. There, he initially re-told the story about the unknown assailant, but later admitted that he and Walker had been "in a romantic relationship for several months however it recently ended."

Investigators reviewed Walker's phone and discovered that the two had agreed to meet at 7:30 p.m., Monday, at Gooseberry Park.

Arndt told detectives that when he would not tell Walker the identity of his new girlfriend, she started hitting and kicking him, at which point he pulled out a knife and stabbed her.

"Defendant stated he started to 'slash' at the victim and that he stabbed the victim about 13 times. Defendant stated he fled the scene on his scooter and along the way he discarded his phone, his back pack, and the scooter," the warrant states.

Arndt told detectives he returned to his Fargo apartment to clean up. A search warrant for the residence showed that red-stained socks and a towel were found concealed in a kitchen cupboard and "used toilet paper and toilet paper rolls were found in the bathroom with red in color stains on them."

Law enforcement reviewed security video from a home facing the wooded area where Walker's body was found. In it, Arndt was seen coming out on foot at first and later on a motorized scooter headed towards the pedestrian bridge to Fargo, appearing to be discarding things in an area where Walker's phone was found.

Arndt told investigators that Walker was dead when he left the scene and that he dragged her body to the river before fleeing.

Preliminary autopsy results from the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office showed that Walker's manner of death was homicide by multiple sharp force injuries. Final autopsy results, including toxicology, are still pending.

The complaint said Arndt is charged with second-degree murder with intent — not premeditated, a felony offense which carries with it a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

The Moorhead police are seeking the public's assistance in locating a Samsung Galaxy cell phone with an orange case in relation to the case. Information from the department said the phone might be located somewhere between Second and 10th Avenues and 15th and 23rd Streets South. Anyone with information is asked to call the Red River Regional Dispatch Center at 701-451-7660.

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Fargo teen arrested in connection to body found near Red River in Moorhead

Matt Henson — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 21:23:37 GMT

MOORHEAD — A Fargo man is facing murder accusations after a missing female's body was found Tuesday, Aug. 20, along the banks of the Red River.

The Moorhead Police Department arrested Isaac Arthur Arndt, 18, on Tuesday in Fargo, according to a news release. He was taken to the Cass County Jail and is awaiting extradition to the Clay County Jail in Moorhead, the release said.

Arndt is suspected of killing a female whose body was found Tuesday along the Red River in the area of Sixth Avenue and Elm Street South in Moorhead, the release said. The female was reported missing shortly after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, police said.

"While searching the area where the person was possibly located, her body was discovered along the Red River," the release said.

Police haven't identified the female who was killed, nor did they say the cause of death. The release said Arndt and the female "were known to each other."

The female's body was taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy, according to police. Officers plan to release her name once next of kin is notified of her death, according to the news release.

The investigation is ongoing, the release said. The Moorhead Police Department asked that anyone with information regarding the case call the Red River Dispatch Center at 701-451-7660 and ask for a Moorhead police supervisor.

"Residents near the crime scene are asked to view their surveillance footage for any possible activity between last evening and early this morning," the release said.

The Moorhead Police Department is investigating the case with assistance from the Clay County Sheriff's Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Fargo Police Department, Cass County Sheriff's Office and Metro Street Crimes Unit.

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�� resource officers returning to Moorhead schools

Alex Derosier — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 22:10:35 GMT

MOORHEAD — The Moorhead Police Department is sending its officers back to the city's public schools after confusion over a new state law restricting the use of force led the agency to suspend its school resource officer program.

Officers will start working in schools again starting Friday, Oct. 6, the police department announced on Tuesday. The Moorhead Police Department was the first of more than 40 in the state to withdraw officers from schools amid worry about a change to the definition of "reasonable force" in schools, which went into effect in August.

The new law placed restrictions on face-down restraints and introduced what police said was ambiguity about when force was appropriate. But after Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued an updated opinion on the law last month, Moorhead's school district and police department agreed to resume the program.

"We're very happy to get back in there and continue to build good relationships," said Moorhead Police Chief Shannon Monroe, explaining that SRO programs help police intervene with problems before they start by placing officers in student communities and building trust.

Moorhead police withdrew in August because of "undue risk of possible civil and criminal liability" posed by the law. While officers did not have full school resource officer duty over the past month, the department said they occasionally made "routine" school walk-throughs.

Law enforcement groups throughout the state said they were concerned officers wouldn’t be able to restrain students who are damaging property or causing disturbances but didn't necessarily pose a serious danger to others. Many suspended school resource officer programs over concerns that the law would prevent officers from legally using physical force on students outside of situations where there is a risk of death or serious injury.

The language that triggered law enforcement concerns was centered around one word that changed in the statute on use of force. Originally, it said school officers could use force to “restrain a student or to prevent bodily harm or death." In the updated statute, officers can use force to "restrain a student to prevent bodily harm or death."

It also states school resource officers cannot "inflict any form of physical holding that restricts or impairs a pupil's ability to breathe; restricts or impairs a pupil's ability to communicate distress; places pressure or weight on a pupil's head, throat, neck, chest, lungs, sternum, diaphragm, back, or abdomen; or results in straddling a pupil's torso."

Ellison clarified on Sept. 20 that officers are only barred from using those specific restraints outside life or death situations. That clarification was sufficient for Moorhead to reinstate its SRO program, Monroe said, though he added a permanent legislative fix is in order to permanently put the issue to rest.

Moorhead's move comes after more than a month of pressure from police groups and Republicans on Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmakers and Gov. Tim Walz to call a special session to change the new law on force in schools.

But Ellison’s opinion, which was an update to previous guidance he issued in August, appeared to clear the air for at least some agencies in the state. The Minnesota Peace and Police Officers Association said the state still needs to address the law when lawmakers return to the capitol in February.

While Moorhead has decided it will return officers to schools this week, the picture is still unclear for many other police departments and school districts in the state. Last week, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty issued guidance on the law contradicting Ellison's guidance, throwing the situation into confusion once again for police agencies across the state.

In response to the contradicting guidance, the Minnesota Peace and Police Officers Association (MPPOA) walked back its previous greenlight for officers to resume school resource duties, and told police departments to assess their situation on a local basis, as different county attorneys could have different takes on the new law.

Monroe said the Hennepin opinion "did throw a wrench" into the process, but local officials ultimately concluded it wouldn't have an effect on Moorhead.

While Moorhead has resolved the school resources officers issue, most other departments have not announced plans yet.

State Sen. Rob Kupec, DFL-Moorhead, said he would have supported a special session if Ellison had not issued an opinion in September that law enforcement groups, including MPPOA, found workable.

"We were really looking for a solution and not trying to make political hay of this," he said. "I'm happy it's come to a conclusion and the one I had hoped for."

However, he noted he disagrees with the Hennepin opinion and supports more hearings on the issue in the 2024 session to find a permanent solution.

Kupec's stance is more middle-of-the-ground than a sizeable bloc of his DFL colleagues. In early September, 44 DFL lawmakers signed a letter opposing a special session to change the law as Republicans pressured Walz to call a special session.

DFL legislative leaders have committed to holding hearings on school resource officers in the first weeks of the upcoming session. Walz said he backs finding a permanent solution.

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Moorhead suspends school resource officer program after law change

Forum staff — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 20:27:57 GMT

MOORHEAD — After a change to Minnesota law, the Moorhead Police Department is pulling its school resource officers out of Moorhead Area Public ��s, the city said in a Thursday, Aug. 24, release.

"Recent changes in Minnesota law have been interpreted by legal counsel to remove the standard law enforcement authority of officers contracted by school districts or assigned to work in schools," Capt. Deric Swenson said in the release.

A section of Minnesota's education bill signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz in May limits the holds school resource officers can use on students. Under the law, school resource officers cannot use a prone, or face-down, restraint.

�� resource officers and other school staff also cannot "inflict any form of physical holding that restricts or impairs a pupil's ability to breathe; restricts or impairs a pupil's ability to communicate distress; places pressure or weight on a pupil's head, throat, neck, chest, lungs, sternum, diaphragm, back, or abdomen; or results in straddling a pupil's torso," the law states.

Swenson told The Forum the restraint limitations section of the law is what prompted the program suspension, as Minnesota law enforcement is not sure if a school resource officer can have any physical contact with a student.

State and local discussions are ongoing about the intent of the law change, the release said, noting the League of Minnesota Cities, Department of Education, Minnesota Police Chiefs Association, Minnesota Sheriffs Association and Attorney General's Office are working to resolve the issue.

In the meantime, Moorhead school resource officers are reassigned to patrol duty, the release said.

The announcement comes on the first day of school for students in Moorhead Area Public ��s.

The school resource officer program has been in place for more than 30 years in Moorhead, the release said, and school safety remains a top priority. Police are still able to respond to calls at public schools.

Check back for updates as this story develops.]]>

Moorhead police identify body found Saturday in Red River

Robin Huebner — Mon, 22 May 2023 19:44:19 GMT

MOORHEAD — The Moorhead Police Department has released the identity of a man whose body was found in the Red River near Gooseberry Park on Saturday, May 20.

An autopsy report from the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office in St. Paul has identified the body as that of Harold Anderson, 53, of Moorhead, the department said in a news release.

Preliminary information from the medical examiner listed the cause of death as freshwater drowning and did not find evidence of significant injury or trauma, police said.

A final autopsy report, including toxicology, is still pending, police said.

Anderson had been reported as missing in Moorhead and was last seen on April 23.

Police and firefighters responded to a report of a body being found about 2:50 p.m. Saturday near a walking path in Gooseberry Park. Authorities said the man's body had been in the river for an extended period of time.

Police said the investigation is still active. Anyone with information is asked to call Red River Regional Dispatch Center at 701-451-7660 and ask to speak to the on-duty Moorhead police supervisor.

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Answers still elusive 7 years after NDSU student Tommy Bearson's death

Robin Huebner — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 13:30:00 GMT

FARGO — The father of a college freshman who died seven years ago this week is again making a plea to those responsible to identify themselves because a guilty conscience is a heavy burden to carry.

Greg Bearson, father of 18-year-old Tommy Bearson, said the only way those involved can overcome guilt is by coming forward and telling everyone what happened.

“Until then, you will never find peace in your life,” he said.

Tommy Bearson went missing sometime in the early morning hours of Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014, after leaving a house party near the North Dakota State University campus in Fargo.

A cryptic tweet, posted at 1:23 a.m. on Bearson's Twitter account by one of the people he may have been with, hinted that someone might be in danger.

Bearson’s body was found three days later, on Sept. 23, on the ground of an RV dealership parking lot in Moorhead, about 5 miles from the house in Fargo.

His cellphone and the left tennis shoe he had been wearing were never found.

Jake Wenzel, a high school classmate of Bearson in Sartell, Minnesota, lived in the house where the party was held along with Cody Mead, who reportedly met Bearson for the first time that night, according to previous stories.

Wenzel is believed to have sent the tweet from Bearson’s phone and tagged Mead in it.

“... dude it’s jake come pick us up. We are so lost and we are going to die. Just get somebody,” the tweet read.

Wenzel has not responded to repeated requests for comment over the years. Mead has said police have what they need from him, and that “it’s better to let them do their job and not compromise anything with their investigation.”

Early on, the only explanation given for Bearson’s death was that he was a victim of homicidal violence. He did not die from an overdose of drugs or alcohol, either, police said.

His death record revealed Bearson died of asphyxia, meaning he was somehow deprived of oxygen until he died.

A forensic investigator said death by accident, suicide or natural causes could be ruled out.

Police officers from Fargo, NDSU, Moorhead and investigators with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension all worked on the case initially, but the Moorhead Police Department became the lead agency because of where Bearson's body was found.

“Here we are seven years later. … It’s still an active, ongoing investigation,” said Moorhead Deputy Chief Tory Jacobson.

Jacobson said he’s not working on the homicide case directly but has been the public spokesperson for it since the beginning.

That helped limit the amount and type of information released, he said, a necessity for protecting the details that only the person or persons responsible might know.

“Unfortunately, at least publicly, we don’t have this break we’ve all worked so hard toward,” Jacobson said, adding that he hopes those answers are coming.

Investigators still hold team meetings about the case and remain in close contact with Bearson’s family, Jacobson said.

A few officers who did a lot of the early work have retired or moved on to other jobs but remain accessible and dedicated to seeing the case resolved, he said.

Tommy Bearson’s father said it’s been a tremendously difficult seven years, but he’s confident a resolution is coming for his son.

“The day of reckoning is drawing nearer,” Greg Bearson said.

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