ROCHESTER POLICE DEPARTMENT

Rochester police: Investigation into ‘disturbing’ viral video completed

Staff reports — Mon, 05 May 2025 19:29:11 GMT

ROCHESTER — The Rochester Police Department on Monday, May 5, completed its investigation into the viral video depicting a woman using a racial slur at a Rochester park.

According to a release from RPD, the findings from the investigation of the “disturbing video” were sent to the Rochester City Attorney’s Office to be considered for charges.

“RPD takes all reports and allegations seriously and must thoroughly gather information to ensure due process,” the release said. “We recognize the behavior captured in the video has raised many concerns, and we appreciate the community’s patience during the investigation and moving forward.”

In a separate news release, the city attorney’s office said it will review the matter. If necessary, the city attorney’s office will consult the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office “regarding matters that may fall under their jurisdiction.”

“The review will proceed deliberately, but with an appropriate sense of urgency. We acknowledge the significant impact this incident has had on those directly involved and on the broader community,” the statement from the city attorney’s office said. “At this time, it would be premature to estimate when a final decision will be made. We ask for the community’s patience as the legal review continues. Once a determination has been reached, we will share that information publicly.”

The video referenced gained traction across social media platforms last week after social media creators started sharing the video. One creator’s TikTok video about the matter has received 13.5 million views as of Monday.

The woman, who identified herself as Shiloh Hendrix in a crowdfunding campaign, has raised more than $660,000 for herself and her family to relocate.

In response to Hendrix’s campaign, the Rochester Branch of the NAACP created a GoFundMe fundraiser to benefit the family of the 5-year-old boy who was addressed with racial slurs by the woman at a Rochester park. The fundraiser was closed at the family’s request after raising about $340,000.

“The family kindly requests privacy at this time as they navigate this difficult period,” the NAACP said in a previous release. “An official statement from the family will be shared during the Rochester Branch of the NAACP’s Our Children are Sacred- Accountability and Justice Townhall, held in collaboration with Barbershop Talk Services and the Rochester Civic Theatre on Wednesday, May 7, from 4 -5:30 p.m.”

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Crowdfunding campaign for woman allegedly involved in viral TikTok garners over $250K

Olivia Estright — Fri, 02 May 2025 13:59:21 GMT

ROCHESTER — The woman who allegedly directed a racial slur toward a child in a viral TikTok video out of Rochester has raised more than $250,000 for herself and her two children, according to a campaign on GiveSendGo.

A crowdfunding campaign titled "Help Me Protect My Family" was created by the user "Shiloh Hendrix" on Thursday afternoon, May 1. Hendrix claims her Social Security number, home address, phone number and place she works out have all been leaked to the public. The fundraising goal was set for $250,000.

"I am asking for your help to assist in protecting my family. I fear that we must relocate," the campaign said. "I have two small children who do not deserve this. We have been threatened to the extreme by people online. Anything will help! We cannot, and will not live in fear!"

The video depicted a man confronting the woman at Soldiers Field Park in Rochester for calling a Black child a racial slur. Though the original video was taken down, Michael McWhorter, known online as TizzyEnt, reposted the video on Wednesday, April 30, to his more than 9.5 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, X and YouTube.

In her campaign, Hendrix claims the child stole from her 18-month-old son’s diaper bag at the Soldiers Field Park playground.

“I called the kid out for what he was,” Hendrix wrote.

As of Thursday night, the fundraiser has received more than 4,000 donations.

The video has since received millions of views, with McWhorter’s repost receiving 8.2 million views. Local leaders in Rochester have also responded to the video.

The Rochester Branch of the NAACP called on the Rochester Police Department and the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office to investigate the incident and file necessary charges. Rochester Mayor Kim Norton urged Rochester residents to do all they can to “end racism in this community.” DFL state lawmakers representing Rochester issued a joint statement condemning the “vile acts of racism” and said they were grateful that the person taking the video stepped in.

On the crowdfunding page, Hendrix alleges the individual who stepped in to film the video proceeded to follow her to her car and claims he has a criminal history. The Post Bulletin has not yet been able to identify the person who filmed the video. The TikTok account of the original poster has since been made private.

According to Minnesota Court Records Online, Hendrix was convicted of a misdemeanor DWI in 2014 and a petty misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct in 2012.

The Rochester Police Department is aware of the video and has received multiple calls related to it, RPD’s Amanda Grayson previously told the Post Bulletin. The police department is “actively looking into the matter.”

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Cold case murders of April Sorensen and Robert Volgmann still mystify

Brian Todd — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 21:00:00 GMT

ROCHESTER — April Sorensen was, by all accounts, a young woman on the cusp of moving forward with her life.

The then-27-year-old was studying to be a dental hygienist. A graduate of Albert Lea High ��, she loved to run, often running marathons with her sisters and her father.

All that came to an end on April 17, 2007.

Married to Joshua Sorensen, who worked at IBM at the time, April went to work at UPS early that morning before attending class at RCTC later that morning. She left class at RCTC at around 10:50 a.m., went home and was brutally murdered, according to Rochester Police reports and past reporting by the Post Bulletin.

Her husband was at work at the time.

April’s body was found when Rochester Fire Department crews entered the home after a cable TV repairman arrived for an appointment after noon and noticed smoke coming from a window of the house.

The fire inside, reports state, was localized to the bedroom, where her body was found in an obvious attempt to cover up the murder. An autopsy revealed that she had died as a result of an attack before the fire was started.

"You couldn’t meet a friendlier person in this world," April Sorensen’s father, Jon Larson of Hayward, told the Albert Lea Tribune in 2007.

By December 2007, the FBI was being consulted, developing a profile of what they believed the public should be looking for. The killer, they said, likely had the following traits: a man working alone, someone who blends in easily, a person with criminal experience and someone who is impulsive.

Thirteen years later — minus one day — Robert Volgmann was discovered to have suffered a similar fate. Volgmann and Sorensen are two of three unsolved murder cases in the last 25 years in Rochester. The other, more recent, is the case of Dahir Omar Dahir, who was killed Nov. 21, 2024.

On April 16, 2020, authorities found Volgmann’s body in his northwest Rochester apartment.

He hadn’t been seen since April 12, 2020, Easter Sunday that year, a day that saw a heavy snowstorm.

The bedroom window of his ground-floor apartment had been open for several days when, on Thursday, he was found by a landlord who noticed the open window while stopping by to drop off food and check on Volgmann.

While his body was found that Thursday, police noted at the time that he’d been dead for at least 24 hours, and that there were obvious signs of physical trauma.

Almost immediately, RPD called in the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to provide another set of eyes in the apartment where the 41-year-old Volgmann was found.

Despite these crimes being five (Volgmann) and 18 (Sorensen) years old, RPD hopes some evidence or witness might come forward. After all, Dunn County, Wisconsin, law enforcement recently got a conviction of an Owatonna, Minnesota, man in a cold case from 1974.

"We want the community to know that we are fully committed to using every tool available, including the latest advances in forensic science and investigative technology, to seek justice in these cases," said RPD Capt. Casey Moilanen.

That means everything from re-examining physical evidence with new DNA techniques to utilizing national databases and digital forensics.

"We are pursuing every possible lead with determination and care," Moilanen said. "We understand how important these cases are to the victim’s loved ones and to the entire community."

The Dunn County case from 1974 could certainly fit RPD’s definition of a stranger homicide. The victim and killer did not know one another, and they met by chance. That means no obvious motive was found at the time.

"Sometimes there isn’t a clear motive to the crime," Moilanen said. "When someone close to the victim is involved, there is often an emotional or financial motive — jealousy, revenge, money, custody issues, etc. With stranger homicides, there are times when there is no obvious reason why the victim was targeted, which can make it difficult to narrow down the suspect pool."

Moilanen cautioned that he’s not saying this is necessarily the case with Sorensen or Volgmann. Still, in its plea for more information sent out on both cases, RPD noted, "April had no enemies and was very well liked by everyone."

Of Volgmann, RPD said: "Bobby, as he was known to friends and family, was a jack-of-all-trades and could fix just about anything. He especially enjoyed building bikes. He also loved to travel and dreamed of moving to Hawaii someday."

But neither case, thus far, has generated an obvious list of suspects. People close to the victims often leave evidence or digital footprints that police tend to look for. Strangers can enter and leave a victim’s life in as little time as it takes to commit the crime, and if their act is premeditated, the evidence can be scant.

"If the victim had a known conflict or toxic relationship, we may have a pool of suspects," Moilanen said. "If the victim was randomly selected, in a robbery gone wrong or a thrill killing, for example, there’s no starting point for possible suspects, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Breakout Info

Solve the cases Rochester police ask that anyone with information regarding the murder of April J. Sorensen contact RPD Detective Alex Kendrick at 507-328-2739.

For information regarding the murder of Robert E. Volgmann, contact Detective Geoff Kusick at 507-328-2898.

You may also leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or text your tip to Crime Stoppers using the P3 Tips app available on both iPhones and Android phones.

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Employee accused of stealing $975,000 from Rochester hotel

Olivia Estright — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 01:28:21 GMT

ROCHESTER — An assistant manager at a Rochester hotel is accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the business in 2023.

Beth Marie Hansen, 39, of Kasson, has been charged with 12 felony counts of theft. She is accused of failing to deposit more than $975,000 while acting as assistant manager for EVEN Hotel Rochester in 2023.

Hansen was charged on Feb. 28. Her first appearance is scheduled for July 3.

According to the criminal complaint, the general manager of EVEN Hotel Rochester met with Rochester police on Dec. 19, 2023, and alleged that the assistant general manager, Hansen, had been stealing money from the business.

Company protocol requires two people to transfer money from the company’s safe to the bank if the deposit amount is more than $10,000. Hansen, however, was dropping the money off alone.

She claimed that due to being short staffed, she wasn’t able to find a second person available to accompany her, the complaint said.

The corporate office informed the manager that no money was deposited for December 2023.

When the manager asked Hansen where the money was, Hansen initially claimed that she deposited it the night before. The manager contacted the bank and learned that Hansen did not make a deposit that night. The manager contacted Hansen multiple times and each time, received a different story, the complaint said.

Police spoke with Hansen over the phone on Jan. 24, 2024. Hansen said she stopped taking deposits to the bank in July 2023.

Law enforcement reviewed Hansen’s yearly gambling totals from 2014 through January 2024. The yearly totals from 2014 through 2022 show she cashed in anywhere from $93 to $162,000. In 2023, she cashed in more than $2.1 million.

Police then reviewed the money deposited from the hotel each month in 2023, the complaint said.

The hotel took in $995,346.65 in 2023. Only $19,452.98 was deposited.

From January through December, Hansen deposited over $161,000 into one of her bank accounts, the complaint states. She previously told police she makes around $60,000 annually.

Law enforcement found that her bank accounts had several charges from online gambling sites and Treasure Island Casino. She previously told police that she won $19,000 at Treasure Island Casino in October 2023 and bought a new car with the winnings. She also claimed to have won “a few jackpots” in 2023.

Hansen's total win/loss statement revealed that she had not won any money at Treasure Island Casino between May and December 2023, according to the complaint.

EVEN Hotel Rochester declined to comment on the matter.

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Meet the swindling ‘Terrible Williamsons.’ To join them, you had to marry into the family

Olivia Estright — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 13:30:00 GMT

ROCHESTER — Davina McDonald held up an Italian-woven rug she just sold to a photographer, smiling for a picture.

It wasn’t until she left that the New York photographer realized the carpet was machine-made — he had just been scammed by a member of a notorious crime family.

McDonald’s photograph is the only one depicting the “Terrible Williamsons” in action, according to Post Bulletin reporting in 1958.

A group of around 100, the Terrible Williamsons traveled across the United States beginning in the early 1900s, swindling and scamming anyone who would pay them for their services. To join them, you had to marry into the family.

The family landed in Rochester in the 1950s, and many members stayed in town for several years after.

“If we find them here, they’re in for plenty of trouble,” Rochester Police Chief James Macken Jr. told the Post Bulletin in 1957.

Traveling in small groups, they would go door-knocking to sell fake Italian rugs, Scottish woolens, Irish laces, lightning rods and cheap paint jobs.

In 1956, the Better Business Bureau estimated the family swindled at least $1 million, which is nearly $11.8 million in 2025, every year since starting its operation.

In 1956, the Post Bulletin reported that a local farmer, who wanted to show thanks to his landlord after having a bountiful harvest, hired the Williamsons to paint his barn.

After all, they offered him an unbeatable bargain — a faster job at half the price.

The night after the Terrible Williamsons finished painting the barn, it rained. The farmer woke up to discover the paint had leaked onto the ground. Law enforcement later found out that the paint was a classic Williamson combination: a mixture of gasoline, turpentine, old axle grease and “anything else that was cheap,” the Post Bulletin reported.

Not only was the now-soaked wood on the farmer’s barn harder to paint after, but it was an even greater fire hazard.

The Terrible Williamsons were well known in southeast Minnesota for swindles like cheap paint jobs, yet law enforcement had few records depicting the gang’s crimes.

As the Post Bulletin reported, people were often too embarrassed to come forward.

“Anyway, it is a rare sucker who’ll go to court and admit to being a chump who doesn’t know rayon acetate from wool or crankcase oil from roofing compound,” the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune wrote of the Terrible Williamsons scam victims in 1957.

After the family’s years operating in Rochester, the city ordered them out in July 1957.

While there were occasional arrests made of one or two members of the group, law enforcement said they would pay the fines or post bail and move on to a new area.

Though the members were never interviewed by a news outlet, their movements over the past century have been documented in papers in nearly every state — and there’s no reporting that depicts the Terrible Williamsons ever stopped swindling.

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100 years ago, police raided a strip poker game, arresting 11 players — including two minors

Olivia Estright — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 13:56:00 GMT

ROCHESTER — “I’ll bet my garters” were the famous last words of one player participating in a strip poker game that was interrupted by Rochester police in January 1925.

Before conducting one of the “most spectacular and sensational” raids in Rochester history, according to The Daily Post and Record’s reporting, officers listened in as men and women bet their clothes, socks and cufflinks.

Earlier that evening on Jan. 15, 1925, the police department received complaints of a party resulting in “loud talk, considerable swearing and rattling of bottles and glasses.”

Guards were placed at all entrances of an apartment building located at 305½ South Broadway. Two officers approached the front door of the apartment and heard players place bets.

“I haven’t many duds, but I’ll bet my socks,” one player said, provoking officers to enter the apartment.

Inside, the officers discovered nine players, “scantily clad,” sitting around the table. The players were “relying on the fate of the cards to keep them from returning to either a barbarian state of appearance,” The Post and Record reported.

Police arrested 11 alleged players, including Roy Bernard, Theron Cranston, Mildred Deen, George Eaton, Arthur Sable, Grace Halloran, Harry Kenitz, William Lyons, Cora Shaw and two minors.

The players were charged with disorderly conduct and gambling.

Lyons was the first to be arraigned the morning of Jan. 16, 1925. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct as details of the investigation came to light.

An officer testified that Lyons was fully clothed and not participating in the game when the apartment was raided. Lyons was initially given the option to spend 15 days in jail or pay a $25 fine, which equates to $455 in 2025.

Later that afternoon, the other 10 players, including five men, four women and a girl, made their first appearances in court.

The five men were all fined $20 for their participation in the strip poker game. The sentences for two of the women were delayed after they pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct that afternoon. The charges against the other two women were dismissed.

The case for the 16-year-old girl was sent to juvenile court in Sauk Centre, a city northwest of St. Cloud.

No other details of the strip poker raid were reported in 1925.

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This reporter was covering a previous-day bank robbery. Then on live TV, the bandit came back for another try

Olivia Estright — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 16:46:00 GMT

ROCHESTER — A local TV reporter was preparing for a live broadcast in front of a bank that was robbed the day before.

Little did he know, the robber walked right past him moments before.

On Dec. 15, 2015, former KIMT-TV reporter Adam Sallet began reading his report in front of Sterling State Bank to inform viewers of the events that happened on Dec. 14: A lone man walked into the bank and slid a teller a handwritten note, demanding $5,000 in cash. The note contained references to the robber being in possession of a gun and a knife, though no weapons were displayed during the robbery. The teller gave the man $3,000, and he left the bank.

During Sallet’s live shot, a bank employee ran out of the building.

“It’s that guy right there,” the employee said, pointing off camera. “That’s the robber.”

The bank was robbed by the same person — two days in a row.

“Oh, that’s the robber. This is live TV, folks,” Sallet said, breaking away from his report. “That’s the robber — just went by, according to the bank employee. I gotta go here and call 911. I’ll talk to you later.”

Although he didn’t realize it at the time, Sallet’s camera footage captured the robber walking in and jogging out of the bank.

This time, according to the federal criminal complaint, the robber handed a different teller another handwritten note, demanding $10,000. The teller, who witnessed the robbery the day before, handed him $1,500. The suspect then asked for money out of the teller’s till, which included some prerecorded bills.

He left the bank and jogged to a nearby white van with a company logo on the side.

Forty-five minutes later, police arrested Ryan Russell Liskow at gunpoint in Coates.

Witnesses to the second robbery provided a description of the white van Liskow drove away in, allowing a Minnesota state trooper to pull the vehicle over.

Linking him to the robbery began on Dec. 13 when the Rochester Police Department received a report of a stolen vehicle. The caller told police that they believed Liskow stole the vehicle, which was described as a white van with writing on the side.

Liskow was taken into custody with nearly $1,500 on him and an additional $1,000 in his backpack. In a post-arrest interview, Liskow admitted to committing both bank robberies. He told police that he spent most of the money from the first robbery on illegal drugs, which he consumed.

Liskow was convicted of two counts of bank robbery and sentenced to nearly 10 years in a Florida prison on Oct. 12, 2016.

The robbery lands Sallet in the spotlight

Sallet’s quick reaction during the noon news turned him into an internet sensation.

His live shot went viral, receiving millions of views nationwide, including on all national networks, the Jimmy Kimmel Show, BBC and BuzzFeed.

In addition to a viral moment, Sallet’s broadcast actually won an award in 2016 from the Iowa Broadcasters Association for "Spot News Coverage."

"That was definitely a memorable, insane experience, and even now, about a year and a half later, I can count on somebody bringing it up daily," he said to the Post Bulletin in 2017. "Whether it's in the public or one of my co-workers, it always comes up, which is kind of remarkable. After a week or two it kind of died down, but that's definitely something people know me for."

According to his LinkedIn account, Sallet is now a news producer at KCAL in Los Angeles.

Where’s Liskow now?

On June 21, 2024, Liskow was released on supervised probation to a halfway house facility. Five days later, he made an initial appearance for an alleged supervised release violation, admitting that he left the facility without approval.

As of July 17, Liskow was committed to the custody of the attorney general for confinement in prison.

“Given the nature of the underlying conviction, as well as Mr. Liskow’s history for the short period of time in which he has been subject to supervised release, the court finds that less restrictive measures do not alleviate the court’s concerns regarding public safety,” the order of detention read.

Liskow was previously convicted by a federal jury in 2010 after robbing a Minneapolis bank with a Rochester man. In 2008, Liskow was also convicted of a felony count of third-degree burglary.

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State trooper charged in Rochester fatal crash was suspended twice for violating MSP’s policies

Olivia Estright — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:09:06 GMT

ROCHESTER — The Minnesota State Patrol trooper charged in the fatal three-vehicle crash that killed 18-year-old Olivia Flores and injured five others had previously been suspended twice for violating the agency’s policies and procedures since 2019, according to disciplinary records obtained by the Post Bulletin.

Shane Elroy Roper, 32, of Hayfield, Minnesota, is facing nine criminal charges in Olmsted County District Court, including felony counts of second-degree manslaughter, criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation.

According to the criminal complaint, the crash happened on May 18 at the intersection of Memorial Parkway and 12th Street Southwest, near the Apache Mall.

Before the crash, Roper was traveling 83 mph in a 40-mph zone. Witnesses told police that the oncoming vehicle was "flying" and said they did not see or hear emergency lights or a siren, according to the complaint.

Due to the speed, Roper was unable to brake or maneuver his squad car to avoid the collision, the investigation found. The impact sent both cars eastbound through the intersection to collide with a Toyota Rav4. The criminal complaint said Roper's vehicle was traveling "at least" 55 mph when his squad car struck the Ford Focus that Flores was a passenger in.

Flores, of Owatonna, died as a result of the crash days away from her high school graduation. Five other individuals were injured.

Roper’s MSP disciplinary records revealed four prior crashes caused by inattentive driving or excessive speed. In two of the incidents Roper received a one-day suspension, records show.

Since 2019, Roper has violated 10 general orders, or MSP’s operating policies and procedures, across four incidents before the fatal crash on May 18, 2024.

Roper also has one open complaint in internal affairs, according to MSP Lt. Michael Lee.

Feb. 19, 2019: Roper crashed into another state unit

While responding to a call for assistance in 2019, Roper crashed into a state unit, injuring the other driver and resulting in extensive damage to both vehicles, according to a statement of charges filed by former MSP Lt. Col. Rochelle Schrofer.

According to the statement, Roper violated three general orders, including conduct; patrol unit operation and maintenance; and patrolling, parking, methods of speed enforcement.

Disciplinary records show he was served a written reprimand and was advised that similar conduct in the future may result in further disciplinary action.

May 22, 2021: Roper crashes into a vehicle after driving through a stop sign

On May 22, 2021, Roper was assigned to routine patrol duties in Rochester when he was involved in a traffic crash with another motorist, according to the statement of charges filed by Schrofer.

The statement said Roper entered an intersection with a stop sign and did not yield to a motorist turning left. Roper struck the back left of the other vehicle, which resulted in property damage to both the patrol car and the other vehicle.

Roper was not responding to any calls and he was not pursuing a suspected violator. His emergency lights and sirens were not activated, the statement said.

During the investigation, Roper said he did not recall seeing the stop sign or any of the events that led to the crash. According to the statement, stop signs are posted on both the right and left sides of the road, and a stop ahead sign was posted 400 feet before the stop signs.

According to the statement of charges, Roper violated three general orders, including conduct; patrolling and parking; and patrol unit, operation and maintenance.

Roper received a one-day suspension that was deducted from his vacation bank, according to disciplinary action from Schrofer.

Dec. 29, 2021: Roper hit a deer while speeding

Roper was responding to assist the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office when he struck a deer in the roadway, which damaged his patrol car, according to a statement of charges filed by Schrofer.

An investigation showed that Roper was driving at 77 mph, 22 mph over the posted speed limit, without activating his emergency lights or sirens.

According to the statement of charges, Roper violated the patrolling and parking general order and the mobile data computer general order.

Roper received a letter of reprimand from Schrofer, according to disciplinary records.

April 10, 2023: Roper crashed into a cable median barrier

Just over a year before the fatal crash that killed 18-year-old Olivia Flores, Roper was assigned to routine patrol duties in Rochester on the Sixth Street ramp to Highway 52. According to the statement of charges filed by Christina Bogojevic, Roper accelerated to a high speed to catch a speeding vehicle. At the time, Bogojevic was a lieutenant colonel with MSP, she has since been promoted to oversee the agency.

Because he was traveling at a speed above 90 mph, Roper’s squad video camera activated. Roper followed the suspected vehicle to the 16th Street exit ramp, lost control of the patrol car and left the roadway to the left, hitting a cable median barrier.

His emergency lights and sirens were not activated during the crash.

Roper said there was a “brake fade,” or an unexpected decrease in braking performance, as he entered the ramp.

Shane Roper documents by Sydney Mook on Scribd

The letter said he violated two general orders, including emergency vehicle operations and patrolling and parking.

Roper received a one-day unpaid suspension as disciplinary action.

When asked for comment, the Minnesota State Patrol pointed to Bogojevic’s comment from July 9.

"The conduct alleged in the criminal complaint is concerning and does not align with the State Patrol’s core values," Bogojevic said in the release. "The announcement of charges marks the next steps in the judicial process related to this case. We respect that process and cannot comment further due to ongoing criminal proceedings.

A benefit for the Flores family is scheduled for 4-9 p.m. on July 27 in Owatonna. The "Fly High Olivia - Benefit for the Flores Family" will take place at Owatonna Eagles 1791. All proceeds raised at the event will go directly to the Flores family, according to the event's Facebook page.

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Mother, son found dead inside Rochester apartment in apparent murder-suicide

Staff reports — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 18:52:06 GMT

ROCHESTER — The Rochester Police Department found a mother and son dead with gunshot wounds while conducting a welfare check on Thursday night, June 27.

According to a press release from RPD, officers were dispatched Thursday to the 100 block of Sandbar Court Northeast for a welfare check and found the bodies of a 30-year-old son and his 54-year-old mother inside the son’s apartment.

"The bodies had been there for some time," the press release said. "Officers recovered a handgun by the son’s body. No other individuals are being sought in this case."

Initial investigation shows the deaths were likely a result of a homicide and a suicide, the release said.

The names of the mother and son have not been released at this time.

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Former Mayo Clinic doctor accused of poisoning his wife now facing first-degree murder charge

Staff reports — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 20:25:19 GMT

ROCHESTER — A former Mayo Clinic doctor accused of poisoning his wife in August 2023 will now be facing a first-degree murder charge in the case.

Connor Bowman, 30, was charged by a grand jury for first-degree premeditated murder on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. In Minnesota, first-degree murder can only be charged by a grand jury.

Bowman is still facing a second-degree not-premeditated murder with intent charge in Olmsted County in connection with the death of his wife, Betty Bowman. Connor Bowman is accused of using colchicine, a drug used to treat gout, to poison her in August.

The indictment also listed several witnesses examined before the grand jury, including a detective with the Rochester Police Department, four Mayo Clinic doctors and a nurse for Mayo Clinic.

Connor Bowman's next court date is slated for Jan. 16.

According to the criminal complaint:

Betty Bowman died on Aug. 20, 2023, after she went to the emergency room days earlier complaining of diarrhea and dehydration.

RPD was notified on Aug. 21, 2023, by the Southeast Minnesota Medical Examiner's Office of a suspicious death. Betty Bowman was scheduled to be cremated, but that was halted after the examiner's office learned of possible suspicious circumstances.

A woman called the examiner's office and said that Betty and her husband were having marital issues and were talking about filing for divorce due to infidelity.

She was admitted to a hospital with severe gastrointestinal distress and dehydration on Aug. 16, and her condition rapidly deteriorated.

Her symptoms were similar to those of food poisoning, but she did not respond to standard treatments and continued to deteriorate while at the hospital. She experienced cardiac issues, fluid in her lungs, and eventually organ failure. She was taken into surgery after it was discovered that part of her colon was dead tissue.

Connor Bowman suggested to doctors while his wife was hospitalized that she was suffering from hematophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a rare autoimmune disease in which white blood cells attack organs.

He told multiple people she died from this disease despite tests of his wife coming back inconclusive for it, according to court documents. He also included it in her obituary.

He told the medical examiner that she should be cremated immediately and argued that her death was natural. He also attempted to cancel the autopsy and asked investigators if the toxicology analysis would be more thorough than usual.

Connor Bowman worked in poison control in Kansas.

According to the complaint, the couple had separate bank accounts due to debt and he stood to receive $500,000 in life insurance following her death.

A witness told law enforcement that Betty Bowman said she had been drinking with Connor on Aug. 15 and she was feeling sick the next morning. She told her friend that she believed the drink, a large smoothie, had caused the illness, according to court documents.

A detective found that Connor Bowman had looked at his wife's medical information while she was in the hospital.

Court documents say that a laptop from the University of Kansas that was owned by Connor Bowman was searched by the university. The search found internet searches for colchicine, a drug used to treat gout. There were also several internet searches related to hiding information from police on the laptop, as well as a search for where to obtain sodium nitrate, a drug used to restrict oxygen in the bloodstream, according to court documents.

Connor Bowman also searched for and found the lethal dosage of colchicine for his wife's weight, according to the report. Police also found that he had purchased colchicine online.

A toxicology report listed colchicine as a substance in Betty Bowman's system. She did not suffer from any ailments that would require the drug.

Connor Bowman was arrested on Oct. 20. He has been held at the Adult Detention Center since his arrest.

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