On Friday, Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena’s office announced that four people had been sentenced for their respective roles
related to the murder of 55-year-old Chris Lafontaine at his home in Greenvale Township
Nicholas Alan Taylor, age 30 of St. Paul, pled guilty on February 17 to one count of Unintentional Murder in the Second Degree (Aiding and Abetting) and was sentenced to 252 months in prison.
Timothy Tuit, age 36 of South St. Paul pled guilty on December 1 to one count of Aiding an Offender (Accomplice After the Fact) and was sentenced 92 months in prison.
Ryann Elizabeth Smith, age 23 of White Bear Lake, pled guilty on March 1 to Assault in the First Degree and was sentenced to 80 months in prison.
Stephanie Peabody, age 26 of Welch. pled guilty December 1 to one count of Aiding an Offender and was sentenced to a Stay of Execution of 69 months in prison, serve 335 days in jail, and was placed on probation for up to 10 years.
The four were ordered to pay restitution jointly in the amount of $31,259.32.
Each sentence was ordered by Judge Christopher Lehmann
On July 2, Dakota County Deputies found LaFontaine’s body in his home. An autopsy determined that he died of asphyxiation.
Shortly after discovering the victim’s body, Northfield police apprehended Peabody and Tuit. Taylor and Smith were apprehended a week later in Montana.
In a statement Keena said “I am pleased that these four individuals are being held accountable for the respective roles they played in the senseless murder of Chris Lafontaine. Our deepest sympathy is extended to Mr. Lafontaine’s family for their loss.”
She thanked the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, and the Northfield Police Department for their work in the case, and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Department for their assistance.
Thomas discusses additional county law enforcement efforts
Summer is always a busy time in Minnesota, and for the Rice County Sheriff’s Department it is the busiest. 
Aside from the various celebrations and parades that will always include members of the Sheriff’s Department if not Sheriff Jesse Thomas himself, there are extra patrols out to enforce traffic safety during what the State of Minnesota has termed the 100 Most Dangerous Days of the Year on Minnesota roads. In fact, Thomas said, a period of enforcement focusing on seatbelt use, the Click it Or Ticket initiative, just ended.
“It still amazes me that people don’t use their seatbelts,” he said. “It’s such a simple thing that can be the difference between life and death.”
Thomas said he can speak from firsthand knowledge about being in a crash without a seatbelt on, and how fortunate he feels to have not been seriously injured after being, as he put it “ping ponged” around in his car.
Thomas said over the summer there will be other periods of focused enforcement for speed, impaired driving and distracted driving.
The department will also be out on the water. Thomas said they add five part time seasonal officers every summer to serve as water patrol. Serving in teams of two, the deputies will ensure that everyone on their boats is acting responsibly both for themselves and for the people around them.
“Our primary goal as water patrol is education and safety. We want to make sure people understand that they need to have life jackets, they need to have fire extinguishers in their boat. [We want to make sure] that you’re practicing safe maneuvers on the lake, and you’re respecting everyone else’s time on the water.”
The department is also responsible for all drownings in the area. Thomas said the Dive Team has been well trained, with a lot of resources and money put into the program so the officers know how to handle those situations.
Overall, he said the department is nearly at full staff, so the extra patrols will not be a problem. They do have one opening, but the interviewing process is nearly complete, and he hopes to have someone in place very soon.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas can be heard here
Emerald Ash Borer infestation growing in Faribault
And the Emerald Ash Borer infestation is growing in Rice County. Six ash trees along the south Rice County Government Services parking lot have been found to be victims of the invasive, tree killing insect and ben taken down.
Rice County Parks & Facilities Director Matthew Verdick first noticed signs of the problem— holes in the trees, bark coming off the trunk and no new growth a few weeks ago and called the city of Faribault’s arborist for his opinion. The arborist concurred that they, like many others in the city, are infested.
The beetle, which takes its name from its bright green body and propensity to lay its eggs in as trees, was first discovered in Faribault a little over two years ago.
According to the Department of Agriculture, “Emerald ash borer larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk.”
The insect was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009. It’s now found in 35 of Minnesota’s 87 counties.
Rice County’s ash trees will quickly be replaced with a variety of trees, which helps avoid a disease or invasive species wiping out a considerable number of trees in an area at once.
Two other trees are also being taken down in Faribault and will be replaced. The Emerald Ash Borer has not been yet discovered in Northfield, and the Public Works Department has been taking steps to keep the beetle at bay for as long as possible.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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