Unconditional bail was set yesterday at $1 million, and conditional bail at $500,000 for 32-year-old Cody Vernon Kolstad of Morristown. Kolstad is charged with second-degree murder in the death of his housemate, 41-year-old Brian Daniel Stoeckel.
Early on Tuesday morning Rice County Deputies responded to a call on the 100 block of 2nd Street SE in Morristown. The dispatcher told the deputies that the reporting party, later identified as Kolstad, said to “just come look,” and “He’s dead.” Kolstad also told the dispatcher to “please get deputies here,” “bring the coroner,” “and to “please put the cuffs on me.”
Upon their arrival they found Kolstad lying facing down on the lawn with a phone in his hand. According to the criminal complaint, Kolstad told deputies that he had shot Stoeckel in the head.
Deputies found Stoeckel in his bed with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the neck. A hole in the wall was consistent with a shotgun blast.
Sometime before midnight, Kolstad said he grabbed a gun from the unlocked gun cabinet inside the house, walked across the living room to Stoeckel’s bedroom with the semi-automatic shotgun and fired twice.
Kolstad told deputies that he had been “taking a lot of drugs,” and was very upset, but was found to be sober by the time he spoke with investigators.
Stoeckel was the live-in boyfriend of Kolstad’s sister. They lived in the house with Kolstad and his mother.
Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas said that Kolstad gave the deputies a bizarre reason for shooting his housemate.
“In the statement he gave to investigators, he made mention that somebody had told him that ‘Either you or Brian need to die by midnight.’”
According to the complaint, during their conversation with Kolstad, he told investigators that he deserved to die. When asked why, Kolstad responded, “because I took a life.”
Sheriff Thomas also said Kolstad’s sister and mother were out at the time of the incident.
Kolstad is currently being held in the Rice County Jail.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Sheriff Jesse Thomas can be heard here
Pride in the Park filled with activities and events
Northfield will celebrate its second annual Pride in the Park festival on Saturday. The Northfield Public Library, which is hosting the event,
invites everyone in the community and beyond to celebrate with, and show support of, the LGBTQ+ community from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Central Park.
Attendees will be able to visit more than 40 booths from LGBTQ resource organizations, artists and craftspeople, affirming churches, and area businesses and nonprofits. Many booths will offer activities for all ages. There will be several food vendors, and Culligan Ultrapure of Northfield is donating 20 cases of water to keep attendees cool and hydrated.
The event will be emceed by Twin Cities meteorologist Sven Sundgaard and his partner Robby McEachren. The scheduled activities begin at 12:15 with a Drag Story Hour sponsored by Content Books. At 1:00 the Northfield YMCA will conduct a Pride Cardio Class. Congresswoman Angie Craig will give some remarks at 2:00, and at 2:30 there will be an Open Runway hosted by Northfield’s own Mrs. Moxie. Finally, at 3:00, the event will host a Youth & Elder Panel.
KYMN will broadcast live from the event from noon until 1:30.
“The library has an active role in making Northfield an open, safe, and welcoming community by bringing people together to share spaces and ideas,” said Northfield Director of Library Services, Natalie Draper. “Lifting up and celebrating the stories of all in our community can go a long way toward making people feel seen, included, and truly welcome in Northfield.”
Imminent Brewing will host an after-Pride event in their taproom at 5:00 hosted, once again, by Mrs. Moxie.
This will be a rain or shine event and will only be canceled in case of severe weather.
For more information, please visit the Northfield Public Library website, or click here for the Facebook event page.
DJJD Candidate Experience seeking applicants
By Cait Kelley, KYMN News contributor
The Defeat of Jesse James Days Committee is currently accepting applications for Ambassadors and Junior Ambassadors to participate in its
Candidate Experience program.
The Candidate Experience runs approximately 10 weeks and is an opportunity for participants to practice public speaking and interview skills, build self-confidence, volunteer in their community and have fun while doing it.
Last summer, Ambassador Candidates volunteered at Ruth’s House of Hope and Feed My Starving Children and held a pancake breakfast and a spaghetti dinner fundraiser.
The Candidate Experience culminates with a coronation on the last day of the Defeat of Jesse James Days celebration. At the coronation, three Ambassadors and two Junior Ambassadors will be selected to be a team throughout the next year, visiting many communities and meeting hundreds of people through parades, coronations and volunteering at other special events.
In the past, Ambassadors have appeared at the Special Olympics, the Minneapolis Aquatennial, the St. Paul Winter Carnival, and Winter Walk in Northfield.
Ambassador candidates must be 16 to 21 years of age by July 1st, live, work, frequently volunteer or worship in Northfield, and have never been married or have had children.
Junior ambassador candidates must be 6 to 8 years of age by September 11th and attend Northfield Schools, live in the Northfield School District, or have parents that live, work, frequently volunteer or worship in Northfield.
An informational meeting is set for June 10th, one week from today, at 5:00PM at the Northfield Library. For more information visit djjd.org.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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