by Rich Larson
New details are being learned about the apparent homicide of a Greenvale Township Man on July 2.
According to several criminal complaints, four people, 29-year-old Nicholas Alan Taylor of St. Paul, 22-year-old Ryann Elizabeth Smith of White Bear Lake, 36-year-old Timothy William Tuit of Wadena and 25-year-old Stephanie Marie Peabody of Welch, were involved in the death of 55-year-old Chris Jon LaFontaine of Greenvale Township.
On the afternoon of July 2, a neighbor witnessed two men running out of LaFontaine’s residence when he knocked on the door. Another neighbor saw the two men come out of a ditch and get into a Dodge Durango that has been confirmed to having belonged to LaFontaine. The neighbor called 911, and Northfield police were soon in pursuit of the Durango. When the vehicle was stopped, all three occupants bolted from the car. Tuit and Peabody were caught and arrested. Smith was not in the car, but was arrested with Taylor outside of Laurel, Montana on Friday.
As Northfield police were pursuing the Durango, Dakota County deputies entered LaFontaine’s home and found his body in a basement bathroom with cables tied around his hands and feet. Another cable was tied around his head, holding a rag and a glove in place to cover his mouth. A Hennepin County Medical Examiner determined that LaFontaine had been beaten but died of asphyxiation.
Peabody told authorities that Taylor and Tuit are brothers. Tuit admitted that he and Taylor had conspired to burglarize LaFontaine’s residence. Security footage from the night of July 1st showed LaFontaine, Tuit and Taylor all at LaFontaine’s home, and have determined that the victim knew his assailants. Taylor bragged to both Tuit and Peabody that he had LaFontaine bound and gagged very tightly, and Peabody said Smith told her she had hit him in the head with a flashlight.
Tuit has been charged in Dakota County with First Degree Burglary and Aiding an Offender. Peabody has been charged in Rice County on two counts of Fleeing an officer, and in Dakota County with First Degree Burglary and Aiding an Officer. She also has outstanding warrants in Wisconsin.
Taylor and Smith are being held in Yellowstone County, Montana awaiting extradition. Upon their arrival in Dakota County, they will both be charged with Second Degree Murder, as well as First Degree Burglary.
Red Cross pleading for blood donations
The Red Cross is putting out the call for blood donations, saying there is a severe shortage of blood across the country, including right here in Minnesota.
Sue Thesenga of the Minnesota and Dakotas Region of the American Red Cross said yesterday that the Red Cross needs to collect more than 1,000 additional blood donations each day to meet current needs demand as hospitals respond to an unusually high demand for blood.
The shortage is in part due to the end of the pandemic, as many people are now choosing to have elective surgeries that were delayed. A Red Cross statement said the United States is also experiencing a critically high number of traumas and emergency room visits.
In order to entice more donors, the Red Cross is emailing a $10 Amazon Gift card to everyone that gives blood between now and the end of the month, and donors will also be entered for a chance to win gasoline for a year. Additionally, every donor in the month of July will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for four to the Cedar Point or Knott’s Berry Farm theme parks.
Thesenga said the Red Cross is looking for all types of donors but encouraged those with Type O blood in particular to consider donating. She also said donations will be accepted from those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19, and will ask if the donor received the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
There are two opportunities to donate in Rice County this week. Friday the Red Cross will hold a blood drive at Trinity Lutheran Church in Faribault from 10am-4pm, and on Saturday they will be at Trinity Lutheran Church in Northfield from 8am – 1pm.
To schedule an appointment, donors can call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or visit RedCrossBlood.org
Council to kick-off Budget Season
And after a three-week break, the Northfield City Council will meet tonight in the Council Chambers at 6pm. The regular meeting that would normally
have been held last week was canceled because of the Independence Day holiday, so the work session that would have normally been held tonight is now a regular council meeting.
Among the items on the agenda this week, the council will hear one final presentation from MetroNet. Last week, the city announced that MetroNet has been approved for a cable franchise in the city of Northfield. The company says it will build a full high-speed fiber-optic broadband network over the next year, and the presentation will go over their construction plans.
A public hearing will be held to consider a new liquor license for Froggy Bottoms, which is once again under new ownership after the previous owner, Lisa Zarza, was denied a liquor license by the council.
There will also be a preliminary discussion of the 2022-2023 budget as the council prepares to begin the annual budget negotiations.
As always, the city and the council are always asking to hear opinions and comments from the public. The best way to do that, aside from emailing the city councilors directly, is through the eComment button on the Agendas section of the City Council website.
Rich Larson is News Director for KYMN. He can be reached at rich@kymnradio.net
