WRIGHT COUNTY

Slaying of 25-year-old woman remains open 30 years after her body was discovered in rural Minnesota

Trisha Taurinskas — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 11:31:00 GMT

WRIGHT COUNTY, Minn. — Twenty five old Victoria Marie Morris was a free woman for just days before her life was taken in 1994 by an assailant who killed her and left her remains in rural Minnesota.

Investigators discovered Morris’ body on Oct 8, 1994 in Wright County, which is just northwest of the Twin Cities, after disappearing months earlier from St. Paul.

The discovery came one year after the dismembered remains of 32-year-old Martha Bacon were discovered by a dog in a nearby location on Oct. 14, 1993.

The weapon investigators believe was used in her slaying was found alongside her. Investigators have not revealed the nature of the weapon.

A Wright County Sheriff’s Office cold case investigation into Morris’ death revealed unknown male DNA was discovered on the weapon, according to a 2009 St. Paul Pioneer Press article.

Investigators honed in on at least one possible suspect, Timothy Joseph Crosby, who had a family cabin on Eagle Lake in Wright County and a history of abduction and sexual assault.

Crosby was convicted in 1987 for false imprisonment after a woman threw herself out of his apartment window, where she had been held captive and sexually assaulted for 16 hours.

In December of 1974, he abducted a woman in Minneapolis and violently sexually assaulted her at his cabin in Wright County. The victim escaped. At least one other woman is known to have escaped from Crosby.

In July of 2009, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Paul Police Department executed a search warrant at Crosby’s St. Paul home to collect saliva for DNA analysis for the Morris case, Bacon’s case and the investigation related to the 1974 missing persons case of Belinda Van Lith, the subject of a recent investigative series by Forum News Service.

If Crosby’s DNA had been matched with the unknown male DNA discovered on the murder weapon, the county would have sufficient evidence to file charges. Crosby was not charged with a crime after his saliva was collected.

In a January interview with Forum News Service, Crosby denied being a dangerous person in the 1990s. He did not specifically address Morris’ case.

Crosby did not seem to fall completely off investigators’ radar after his DNA was collected, though.

A 2009 search warrant application — executed after his DNA was collected — Crosby was considered a possible suspect in the 1994 slaying of Morris.

The search warrant affidavit revealed investigators were searching Crosby’s home for any and all items that could relate to the three cases in which Crosby was a suspect at the time: Morris’ death, Van Lith’s disappearance and the slaying and dismemberment of Bacon.

The search warrant gave investigators access to the entirety of Crosby’s home, outdoor buildings and vehicles — including access to all locked boxes and areas.

In addition to any physical material related to the three cases, investigators were searching for “biological evidence, included but not limited to blood, hair and bodily fluids,” according to the search warrant application included in the Van Lith investigative file.

A number of items were taken into evidence, including sexually violent material discovered on Crosby’s computer and a hacksaw discovered in Crosby’s locked trunk.

The evidence sweep did not lead to charges in the Morris, Bacon or Van Lith investigations.

Evidence collected did contribute to Crosby’s involuntary civil commitment in 2009, which was cemented in 2013 after Crosby unsuccessfully appealed the court’s decision on the grounds that the state had not proven a track record of sexually violent behavior warranting commitment.

The Minnesota State Supreme Court upheld the decision in a 2013 ruling.

Morris’ case remains open and ongoing. It is not clear whether Crosby is still considered a potential suspect.

If you have any information related to this case, contact Lt. Mike Lindquist at the Wright County Sheriff’s Office at 763-682-3900 or 800-362-3667.

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81-year-old man killed in 2-vehicle I-94 crash

St. Cloud LIVE staff reports — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:18:52 GMT

WRIGHT COUNTY — An 81-year-old driver was killed in a two-vehicle crash Saturday morning, March 16, on Interstate 94 in Wright County.

The crash occurred at about 5:30 a.m. Saturday on westbound I-94 at the exit for Hasty, about 5 miles from Clearwater, according to a Minnesota State Patrol incident report.

According to the report, a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and a 2020 Kenworth semitractor were both westbound on I-94 when they collided.

The driver of the Silverado, Dennis Fred Wendell, 81, of North Oaks, was killed in the crash. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the report. His airbag deployed.

The driver of the Kenworth, Wayne Albert Lange, 60, of Spring Valley, was not injured. He was wearing a seat belt, according to the report.

The road was dry at the time of the crash, the report said. Wright County responders, Clearwater Fire, CentraCare Ambulance and North Air Care assisted at the scene.

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Sauk Rapids man killed in 4-vehicle crash on I-94 near Albertville

Staff reports — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 16:29:10 GMT

ALBERTVILLE, Minn. — A Sauk Rapids man was killed Wednesday, Dec. 6, in a four-vehicle crash on Interstate 94 near Albertville.

The crash occurred at about 3:04 p.m. Wednesday on westbound 94 near milepost 202 in Wright County, according to a Minnesota State Patrol report.

Three vehicles — a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse, a 2019 Toyota Highlander and 2011 Buick Enclave — were moving slowly in the left lane on westbound I-94. A 2017 Kia Optima approached westbound when all the vehicles collided near milepost 202.

The driver of the Kia, Benjamin Walter Wittrock, 43, of Sauk Rapids, was killed in the crash, according to the State Patrol. His airbag deployed, and he was not wearing a seat belt, according to the report.

The driver of the Toyota, Kristine Marie Anderson, 73, of Minnetonka, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. She was not taken to a health care facility. Her vehicle’s airbag deployed, but the State Patrol did not know if she was wearing a seat belt.

The driver of the Buick, Laura Beth Ruzicka, 37, of Monticello, was not injured. She was wearing a seat belt, the report said.

The occupants of the Chevrolet were driver Denise Marie Gaida, 57, of Browerville; passenger Barbara Kristine Becker, 70, of Browerville; and Randy Lee Neumann, 63, of Osakis. No one in the Chevrolet was injured, and all were wearing seat belts.

The road conditions were dry, according to the report. The Albertville Fire Department and Wright County Sheriff’s Office also responded.

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Avian flu confirmed in egg-laying flock in Wright County

Levi Jones — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 23:31:55 GMT

ST. PAUL — Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in Wright County. The disease was confirmed Nov. 3 in a commercial table egg-layer operation.

The flock of around 940,000 birds was quarantined as of Oct. 31, and a control zone has been set up by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.

With this outbreak, Minnesota is up to 1.3 million birds affected by the avian flu this fall.

While this is the first case in Minnesota confirmed so far in November, cases across the state through October have put control zones across the state, including in Wright, Meeker, Redwood and Kandiyohi counties, according to information from the Board of Animal Health. These zones also affect parts of Yellow Medicine, Stearns, Renville and McLeod counties.

Farmers in the affected areas are asked to review their biosecurity measures and be vigilant for signs of avian influenza. If symptoms are seen within a flock, farmers are asked to contact their veterinarian.

According to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, symptoms include:

Decrease in feed or water intake Swelling or purple discoloration of head, eyelids, comb, wattle and hocks Decrease in egg production Sudden unexplained death Extreme depression Very quiet Difficulty breathing
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Details emerge in central Minnesota cabin murder case

Tim Speier — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 14:28:24 GMT

PALISADE, Minn. — A note found by investigators near the body of a 62-year-old gunshot victim Wednesday, July 27, inside an Aitkin County cabin appeared to reveal the man’s suspicions of his sons stealing from him and his plan to turn them into law enforcement.

Ronald Bzdok, 24, of Buffalo, Minnesota, faces a felony second-degree murder charge in the death of his father, Daniel Bzdok, who was the subject of a missing persons case first under investigation Tuesday by the Wright County Sheriff’s Office. The Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation.

Daniel Bzdok, also of Buffalo, left for his cabin, a trailer on Fleming Lake in Fleming Township south of Palisade, on July 22 with his son Ronald Bzdok. Daniel Bzdok was last heard from July 23, according to the report. Authorities learned Daniel Bzdok was known to bring his .22-caliber handgun to the cabin and drove a Buick LeSabre.

After numerous unanswered phone calls, Daniel Bzdok’s brother became concerned about Bzdok’s well-being and went to check the cabin Tuesday. He found the main door padlocked and no vehicles around, so he left the cabin.

An Aitkin County sheriff's deputy responded to the location Wednesday to look for Daniel Bzdok. The deputy walked around the outside of the cabin and through a large window, saw a dead man with blood on his chest seated at a dining room table.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension along with its crime scene team responded to the residence. Investigators noted most of the windows were obscured and the inside of the trailer was dark.

Authorities executed a search warrant and identified the victim as the missing person Daniel Bzdok using a driver's license photo. They found the victim facing the television with a graham cracker in his hand and a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. A single .22-caliber shell casing was found next to the victim, according to authorities.

The BCA special agents found a note in front of the victim indicating Daniel Bzdok suspected Ronald Bzdok and his other son stole from him and he planned to turn them into law enforcement and obtain a restraining order.

The Wright County Sheriff’s Office reported Ronald Bzdok was arrested July 23 — the same day people last heard from Daniel Bzdok — in Wright County while driving the victim’s vehicle and in possession of a .22-caliber handgun. The arrest was at 7:23 p.m. for driving while intoxicated, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of drugs and driving a vehicle without an ignition interlock device.

Thursday, investigators executed a search warrant on Ronald Bzdok's belongings and found the victim’s Cabela’s credit card and a key ring containing a Buick key, a Ford key, gun safe keys and numerous other keys.

Ronald Bzdok is in the Aitkin County Jail on charges of second-degree murder with intent but not premeditated and a probation violation. The second-degree murder charge carries a maximum of 40 years of imprisonment.

Ronald Bzdok was previously convicted of a gross misdemeanor DWI for refusing to submit to a chemical test in 2020 and felony theft by swindle in February. The theft conviction arose from a report of employee theft at a Holiday gas station in Medina. He fraudulently returned items at the store without purchasing them, amounting to a loss of $2,211.62 to the business, according to the complaint.

Bzdok is set to make an appearance 10:45 a.m. Monday in Aitkin County District Court via Zoom.

This case remains under investigation by the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office along with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

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Son faces murder charges after father found dead in central Minnesota cabin

Forum News Service — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 21:14:33 GMT

AITKIN, Minn. — A 24-year-old man is in custody on murder charges after a 62-year-old Buffalo, Minnesota, man was found dead Wednesday, July 27, at his cabin in Fleming Township in Aitkin County.

The Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Wright County Sheriff’s Office with a missing person’s case reported Tuesday.

It was reported Daniel Bzdok left for his Fleming Township cabin on July 22 with his son, Ronald Bzdok, and was last heard from on July 23.

After numerous unanswered phone calls, Daniel Bzdok’s brother became concerned about Daniel’s well-being and went to check the cabin for his brother and found the main door padlocked and no vehicles around.

Aitkin County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the location to attempt to locate Daniel Bzdok. Upon arrival, deputies performed a perimeter search and could see a deceased male through a window.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, along with their Crime Scene Team were contacted and responded to the residence.

A search warrant was executed at the residence and the victim was found to have a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.

The victim has been identified as the missing person, Daniel Bzdok.

Ronald Bzdok was arrested and is being held in the Aitkin County Jail on charges of second-degree murder with intent, not premeditated.

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More Minnesota jails weigh dropping controversial medical provider

Kirsti Marohn / MPR News — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 12:42:00 GMT

BRAINERD -- Five months after a state board suspended the license of a doctor whose company has been under scrutiny for its role in the deaths of people held in jail, several Minnesota counties have taken steps to find a new jail medical provider.

MEnD Correctional Care contracts with dozens of counties in Minnesota and other Midwestern states to provide health care for people incarcerated in jails.

The Sartell, Minn. based company, however, has faced allegations of failing to provide adequate care to inmates, including 27-year-old Hardel Sherrell, who died in 2018 in the Beltrami County jail in Bemidji after his pleas for help were ignored by jail and medical staff.

About a dozen counties including Anoka, Beltrami, Clay, Crow Wing, Clearwater, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Olmsted, St. Louis and Wright have changed providers or are exploring other options.

Some cited issues with MEnD's services are not having enough staffing. Others said they switched because they wanted to offer expanded health services to people in jail.

Sherburne County leaders this week agreed to drop MEnD for a different company.

The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice in January found that Dr. Todd Leonard, MEnD’s owner, demonstrated a willful or careless disregard for a patient’s health, welfare or safety in Sherrell’s case.

MEnD declined a request for an interview. In a statement sent by his attorney in January, Leonard said he was “profoundly saddened and disappointed” by the board’s decision.

“This death was a tragedy, but to my core I believe our care was appropriate, especially given the incredibly rare nature of this patient’s condition,” he stated.

Leonard also said the board’s decision is a judgment against him personally, not against MEnD or its employees.

According to the state medical board’s findings, MEnD hired a new corporate medical director in early 2021, and Leonard’s role in the company was limited to president and CEO.

‘Lives are at stake’

Nearly a dozen Minnesota counties told MPR News they are still contracting with MEnD, and don't have plans to switch.

“I do not see us changing medical providers unless someone else is willing to provide as good of service for less money,” Hubbard County Sheriff Cory Aukes said in an April 14 email to MPR News.

In other counties, leaders weighing other options cited dissatisfaction with MEnD’s services or concerns over Leonard’s recent licensing troubles. Others said they are looking to expand or improve health care for people in jail.

The Sherburne County board of commissioners voted Tuesday to contract with Nashville-based Wellpath LLC for health care services for inmates and immigration detainees in its jail. Sheriff Joel Brott declined to be interviewed about the change.

Last year, Sherburne County and MEnD agreed to pay $2.3 million to the family of James Lynas, who died by suicide in 2017 after spending nine days in the Sherburne County Jail.

The lawsuit alleged that Lynas reported having suicidal thoughts, but jail and MEnD staff did not promptly schedule him to see a mental health counselor or do thorough safety checks while he was in his cell.

An attorney with the law firm that represented the Lynas family said it’s surprising that more counties haven’t moved more quickly to end their contracts with MEnD in the wake of costly legal settlements.

“You pay for the care that you get,” said Katie Bennett with the firm Robins Kaplan. “If it’s bad care, you might pay out after, in the form of settlements or verdicts. Continuing on, knowing MEnD’s structure, is problematic, and it probably will be if they stay with them.”

St. Louis County has contracted with MEnD since 2012, but recently sought bids from other providers. Sheriff Ross Litman said the county was happy with MEnD’s services, but the contract automatically renews every year.

“I thought it was really prudent and reasonable to put out just to see what other services and proposals might be available,” Litman said. The county also is looking to expand the hours that nursing and mental health care are available, he said.

Litman said the county is considering three possible providers – MEnD, St. Luke’s health care system and Tennessee-based Advanced Correctional Healthcare. A contract likely will be brought to the board in August or September.

St. Louis County Commissioner Ashley Grimm has been pushing the board to consider ending its contract with MEnD.

Grimm wants to see the county contract with a nonprofit health care provider, such as St. Luke’s, to care for people in the jail. She’s skeptical of the for-profit model of health care for people incarcerated in jail, who have statistically higher rates of medical issues but the least amount of voice.

“I feel so strongly that we not only have to treat every person like they have human dignity, but also that we have to make sure that we don't end up having people die under our care,” she said.

Jamey Sharp worked for MEnD as a health technician for about six months in 2020 in the St. Louis County jail, where he was tasked with delivering medications to inmates.

Sharp said MEnD was growing rapidly and expanding into other counties, but there was not enough staff to address all of the problems that came up in the St. Louis County jail.

“The initial thing that I think was really surprising was people's concerns were not necessarily taken as seriously as they would have in other places I've worked,” said Sharp, who is co-chair of the criminal justice committee at the Duluth branch of the NAACP.

Inmates who complained of a medical problem were told to fill out a form, and typically didn’t get a response for two or three days, he said.

Sharp said he quit his job after reading about the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Hardel Sherrell in Beltrami County, worried that something similar could happen in St. Louis County.

“I saw that the conditions were right, the structure was the same, that would create a case like that to get missed where I was working,” he said. “And I knew that I could not live with myself, if that happened to somebody under my care.”

Sharp also said he sees problems with the for-profit model for jail medical care.

“When you don't have people with the freedom to choose, and then you have companies with incentives to grow instead of provide proper care, without necessarily proper regulations (and) people keeping an eye on them, they're behind locked doors, it's a recipe for disaster,” he said.

‘On our radar for a while’

Other counties say they’d been considering looking for a new provider well before Leonard’s license was suspended.

“To be honest, it's been on our radar for a while,” said Heath Fosteson, jail administrator for Crow Wing County, which has used MEnD for 11 years but is now seeking bids from other firms and recently received a bid from Advanced Correctional Healthcare.

Factors, including concerns about MEnD’s staffing issues, played a role in seeking new bidders for the work, he added. “Of course, everything that's been played out in the media is also influencing decision making.”

Clearwater County switched from MEnD to Advanced Correctional Healthcare starting April. Sheriff Darin Halverson said he couldn’t comment on the specific reasons other than the county had some issues with staffing levels at MEnD.

“We'd been talking about it for a while and we just finally decided it was time to make a change,” he said.

Morrison County also decided to switch from MEnD to Advanced Correctional Healthcare, in part because it had more to offer for mental health services, Sheriff Shawn Larsen told MPR News in an email.

“Unfortunately every county deals with mental health and it is one of the biggest issues that we deal with in our jails across the nation,” Larsen wrote. “We felt Advanced Correctional Healthcare was a good fit for our facility.”

Earlier this year, Wright County decided to switch from MEnD and contract with CentraCare, a nonprofit health care provider that operates St. Cloud Hospital and several others in central Minnesota, beginning Oct. 1.

CentraCare has a correctional health division that serves other county jails, including Stearns County in St. Cloud.

The county didn’t experience any problems with MEnD but has been looking to provide improved health care for people while they’re in jail and continuing on after they’re released, said Pat O’Malley, the county’s jail administrator.

As a large health care system, CentraCare has resources that a private provider doesn’t, including a medication-assisted treatment program for opioid addiction, O’Malley added.

“This would have been a deal that I would have looked into, regardless of MEnD’s situation, simply because it provides the jail a lot more opportunity,” O’Malley said.

‘Stand for something’

After hearing testimony last July on the circumstances surrounding Sherrell’s death in the Beltrami County jail, Administrative Law Judge Ann O’Reilly concluded Leonard, MEnD’s owner, failed to meet minimal standards of acceptable medical practice by not getting Sherrell to the hospital or having his staff assess him and get his vital signs in the days before he died.

A medical examiner determined that Sherrell died of pneumonia and brain swelling. A private expert hired by Sherrell’s family determined he likely suffered from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that causes muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.

“A tragedy like this should never have occurred,” O’Reilly wrote. “And it must never be allowed to happen again.”

The judge urged state authorities to scrutinize MEnD’s contracts with other Minnesota cities and counties.

After Sherrell’s death, his mother, Del Shea Perry, started a nonprofit called Be Their Voices to advocate for the health and safety of people in prisons and jails.

“These are somebody's sons and daughters out here, somebody's mom and father, and they are human beings,” she said. “They have a right to receive basic medical care.”

Last year, the Minnesota Legislature passed the Hardel Sherrell Act, which established minimum standards for medical care, mental health, suicide prevention and death reviews in jails and prisons. Gov. Tim Walz signed the bill into law in September.

Perry said she’s concerned that some counties don’t seem to be aware of the law’s passage or what it requires of them.

“The Hardel Sherrell Act can’t just be some words on a fancy document that mean absolutely nothing,” she said. “It has to stand for something.”

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Grand jury brings premeditated murder charge in Wright County clinic shooting

MPR News — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 20:30:00 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS — The man previously charged in the February killing of a health clinic worker in Wright County is now facing a more serious charge of first-degree premeditated murder.

Prosecutors say Gregory Paul Ulrich opened fire at an Allina Health Clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota, fatally wounding Lindsay Overbay and injuring four others.

He was charged previously with seven counts in the attack, including second-degree intentional murder and first-degree premeditated attempted murder.

In a statement Monday, Oct. 11, the Wright County Attorney’s Office said a grand jury brought the first-degree murder indictment against Ulrich. Prosecutors said they had to hold off on that charge until Ulrich was deemed competent to stand trial.

Ulrich remains in jail in Wright County. His next court appearance is set for Oct. 18.

According to the initial criminal filing, Ulrich took local public transit to the clinic. As Ulrich walked in, staff asked if he needed help. He pulled out a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and starting shooting people around him, some as they fled in terror. One victim suffered six gunshot wounds.

Investigators said Ulrich also detonated three bombs in the clinic. Members of the Minneapolis bomb squad also found a cylinder filled with black powder and a fuse, but had not exploded, matching in detail the remnants of another detonated bomb.

Police have said Ulrich was no stranger to them and was known to have been angry over his medical treatment.

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Psychological exam ordered for alleged Allina Health clinic shooter

Matt Sepic / MPR News — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 20:00:00 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS — A judge on Monday, March 22, ordered a mental competency exam for the man charged with carrying out a mass shooting last month in Buffalo, Minn.

Gregory Ulrich, 67, is charged with murder and attempted murder as well as firearms and explosives charges in the Feb. 9 attack at an Allina Health clinic.

Investigators say Ulrich was angry that doctors had cut off his supply of opioid painkillers.

Lindsay Overbay, a 37-year-old medical assistant at the clinic, was killed and four of her colleagues were injured.

Judge Catherine McPherson ordered Ulrich to undergo a psychological exam to determine if he can cooperate in his defense.

Prosecutors charged Ulrich in 2018 with violating a restraining order that an Allina physician had obtained. But authorities dropped that misdemeanor charge after a psychologist found that Ulrich was not competent to proceed.

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Charges coming Thursday in Minnesota clinic shooting that killed 1, injured 4

Paul Walsh / Star Tribune — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 22:16:32 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS — Prosecutors said they are poised to file murder and other felony counts Thursday, Feb. 11, against Gregory Paul Ulrich, the suspect in the Buffalo, Minn., health clinic shooting Tuesday, Feb. 9, that killed a staff member and wounded four others.

Assistant Wright County Attorney Brian Lutes said he intends to charge Ulrich, 67, with second-degree intentional murder, four counts of attempted first-degree attempted murder, and possession of an explosive or incendiary device in connection with the shooting inside the Allina Health Clinic.

In the meantime, Ulrich remains jailed and could make his first court appearance Thursday, soon after the criminal complaint is filed.

In a rare move for prosecutors, Lutes not only spelled out the charges ahead of filing but also elaborated on his intentions, saying in a statement, "I will aggressively prosecute Ulrich for this horrible crime and the pain he caused to the victims, their families and the entire community."

Lutes said that he met with local, state and federal law enforcement representatives "all morning" in preparation for crafting the charges, which are expected to offer a detailed account of Ulrich's possible motive and his actions leading up to, during and immediately the shooting.

A man who roomed with Ulrich as recently as July told the Star Tribune that the alleged gunman had binged on painkillers and was irate at a doctor who would not prescribe more.

Ulrich, a longtime resident of Buffalo, had "multiple contacts" with law enforcement dating back to 2003, Police Chief Pat Budke said a few hours after the shooting, and had a history of being unhappy with health care he had received.

Family identified the person killed as 37-year-old Lindsay Overbay, a clinic medical assistant. She was shot multiple times and died at HCMC in Minneapolis hours after the shooting.

Overbay is survived by her husband and two young children.

One victim was in critical condition and two others in fair condition at North Memorial Health Hospital, a spokeswoman there said late Wednesday morning. A fifth victim was treated at North Memorial and released.

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