ST. CLOUD - The man suspected of killing his grandparents in their Paynesville home made his first appearance Wednesday, April 25, in Stearns County District Court on the new charges brought by a grand jury.
Gregory Allen Scheel, 33, of Paynesville, was indicted this week on two counts of premeditated first-degree murder - punishable by life in prison without the possibility of release; two counts of first-degree murder while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of domestic abuse - punishable by life in prison; and two counts of second-degree intentional murder, the same charges originally filed in March. Each of the latter charges carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.
ADVERTISEMENT
The bodies of Willie, 93, and Gloria Scheel, 80, were found March 22 in their car on a northern Kandiyohi County road. Gregory Scheel was arrested on foot about a half mile from the vehicle.
Court documents say Wilbert Scheel was found with his hands and feet bound with electrical cord and a plastic bag over his head and was ruled to have died by asphyxiation. Gloria Scheel was found with an electrical cord around her neck and was ruled to have died by strangulation.
Blood and other evidence was recovered from their home in Paynesville, where Gregory Scheel also lived and where the alleged crime is believed to have occurred.
Scheel's next court date is scheduled for June 7. He remains in custody in the Stearns County Jail on $3 million unconditional bail or $1.5 million with conditions.
Scheel also is scheduled for an omnibus hearing June 7 in a Chippewa County case. He has been charged there with two felony counts of first-degree burglary, a felony count of third-degree burglary, a misdemeanor charge of theft and a gross misdemeanor charge of escaping from custody.
On Dec. 19, Scheel was apprehended by Chippewa County sheriff's deputies with possible stolen goods. During the booking process at the jail, Scheel escaped from custody, according to the court documents in the case. He was found in a Montevideo garage the next day with an object described in the documents as a homemade weapon that could both stab or electrocute someone.
