Eighteen months later, Nisbit pleads guilty. The Rice County courtroom was thick with tension and heavily guarded, as a shackled 40 
year old Jason Nisbit of Faribault pled guilty to 2nd degree intentional murder with aggravating circumstances non-premeditated. In 2015, 26 year old Chelsea Martinez met Nisbit through a website called The Experience Project. She drove up from Ohio and met him at a local motel on July 31st to discuss suicide. The two arranged to meet again the next morning at Shager Park. In court yesterday, Nisbit admitted to taking Martinez to a specific spot, tying her up, choking her till she passed out and slitting her throat, killing her. Family members reported Martinez missing July 30th. Nisbit led investigators to her body August 2nd. He was indicted on First
Degree Premeditated Murder in Sept of 2015. County Attorney John Fossum commented on going to trial over that charge, “there’s a lot of traumatic facts in this case, there’s a lot of really difficult issues”. In communication with family and law enforcement, they reached the conclusion that his plea with an additional charge of 2nd degree assault with a dangerous weapon, which happened between he and a cellmate, a sentence of 42 years was far less traumatic on the victim’s family than a trial that could last weeks and having to return for sentencing. Fossum added that a 42 year sentence means he’ll have to serve at least 28 years and up to 14 years on supervised release. “He’s really in the custody of the Commissioner of Corrections till he’s at least 81”. He’ll be at least 67 before he’s eligible for parole and that’s if he stays out of trouble in prison. He also must register as a Predator. Martinez’s mother wept quietly after she read her victim impact statement. Martinez’s father and stepmother spoke of her perseverance as she struggled with bipolar disorder and the heinous crime that took a mother. She left behind 3 children under the age of 10. He was transported to St. Cloud State Prison this morning. Nisbit Grand Jury indictment
Chilling blaze kills animals
In subzero temperatures, crews were battling a blaze at a dairy barn fire just after 4 o’clock this morning in Elko/New
Market. The Scott County Sheriff’s office reports that several fire agencies were on scene at the Ray and Cindy Deutsch farm just off I-35. Initial investigation shows that this was a working dairy farm with 65 cows. All perished in the fire. The owners were home at the time. No individuals were hurt and no other buildings were involved. The farm has a herd of 75 dairy cows. We’re still awaiting official word from the Sheriff’s office on the total damage.
Arts Guild receives large grant
The Northfield Arts Guild will receive over $178,000 from the Ames Fund of Minneapolis. In a press release, Executive Director Alyssa Herzog Melby said the grant, which will be paid over 3 years, will be used to hire two new full-time positions within the Arts Guild: an Education Manager and Resident Teaching Artist which will allow them to expand their programming. Melby said this grant will be life-changing, not only for the organization as they embark on a new chapter, but for the people they serve. By expanding their team, they can deliver creative experiences to more people and to people for whom the sheer of act of creating or experiencing art might mean the difference between staying in school or dropping out. The Northfield Arts Guild is a 57-year old local community arts organization whose mission is to develop, support, and provide quality inclusive arts experiences.
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