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I feel like the bearer of bad news, but I'm fortunate enough to have the news on while I'm at work...
The DNA in the car does match Dru's. |
Knife, blood, suspect linked
Minnesota AP A knife stained with the blood of Dru Sjodin was found in the car of the man charged with kidnapping the 22-year-old University of North Dakota student, a source close to the investigation told the Minnesota AP on Monday. DNA testing of blood found on the knife is "very accurate" and indicates that the blood matches that of Sjodin, said the source, who asked not to be identified. "There is a lot of strong physical evidence in that car," the source said, referring to the 2002 Mercury Sable that belongs to suspected kidnapper Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., 50. The four-door maroon sedan was impounded by authorities before Rodriguez's Dec. 1 arrest at his mother's home in Crookston, Minn. An investigative source told the Grand Forks Herald that the knife was found in a pool of liquid household cleaner in the wheel well of Rodriguez's car. The interior of the car and the trunk obviously had been extensively cleaned, that source told the Herald. Authorities have also said a knife sheath was found near Sjodin's car in the parking lot of the Columbia Mall in Grand Forks, N.D., where the Pequot Lakes, Minn., native was last seen Nov. 22 as she left work. The Pioneer Press reported Friday that blood had been found in Rodriguez's car that could very well be Sjodin's. Evidence in the case, sealed by a judge in the wake of Rodriguez's arrest, is expected to be released today. Rodriguez is a convicted rapist who was released from prison in May after serving 23 years for stabbing a woman he tried to kidnap on a Crookston sidewalk in 1980. He was registered as a predatory offender, the classification for those believed to be at the highest risk of committing another sex crime. Rodriguez told his attorney last week that he did not kidnap Sjodin, and he has given authorities no help in locating her. He faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 4 and remains in the Grand Forks County jail on $5 million bail. David Dusek, Rodriguez's court-appointed lawyer, has said Rodriguez prefers to remain in jail for his own safety. Minnesota Ap reported Monday that Rodriguez has been driven around the area by investigators but has not provided any useful information. Peter Welte, the North Dakota state's attorney for Grand Forks County, has said repeatedly that his office would not make a deal with Rodriguez in return for information about Sjodin's whereabouts. Welte initially asked a judge to seal the evidence in the case, to protect the investigation and Sjodin's family. But after several media organizations filed briefs to unseal the affidavit of probable cause, Welte said he would not oppose making it public. Dusek said he would decide today whether he would object to the unsealing of the affidavit. District Judge Lawrence Jahnke said Monday that his decision would be made shortly after noon today. Rodriguez's sister Illeana Noyes, of rural Crookston, said she spoke to Dusek for about an hour Monday, but she declined to elaborate. Rodriguez has admitted to investigators he was at the mall about the time Sjodin was last seen, but he denied having any contact with her. Sjodin was talking to her boyfriend on her cell phone from the mall parking lot about 5 p.m. on Nov. 22 when she suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, my God!'' and the connection was lost. Rodriguez drove his car to work Monday, Nov. 24, at a construction site in McIntosh, Minn., about 30 miles east of Crookston, said those who worked with him. Investigators searched the car at the job site a day or two before Thanksgiving and impounded it soon after the search, sources close to the investigation told the Herald. Sjodin's disappearance and efforts to find her have generated more than 1,500 tips for Grand Forks police. Despite more than two weeks of searches by as many as 1,700 people at one time, no trace of Sjodin has been confirmed by police. Relatives, friends and some volunteers resumed the search Monday for Sjodin after taking a day off Sunday. The search Monday focused around Alvarado, Minn., about 20 miles north of Grand Forks. Law enforcement officials said they plan to extend their search to areas south of Grand Forks this week. Authorities will ask North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven for assistance in the searches. "What we're hoping for is personnel and equipment," said Grand Forks County Sheriff Dan Hill. "We're certainly not going to slow down on this thing." Grand Forks Police Capt. Mike Kirby said authorities have no reason to believe Sjodin is dead and they will keep searching. "We are committed to this," Kirby said. "The family is out and we will be out." Sjodin's father, Allan, told the Associated Press on Monday that he was shocked to learn that police recovered a knife from Rodriguez's car. But given Rodriguez's history, he said, the notion of Rodriguez using a knife was not surprising. "You know what? It's probably true," Allan Sjodin said. "That's his modus operandi." The Dru Sjodin case has also become a political issue in Minnesota because Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced he would seek to restore the death penalty. Minnesota is one of a dozen states that does not impose the death penalty. The state abolished capital punishment in 1911, five years after a dramatically botched hanging, and attempts to reinstate it have failed. |
Police confirm blood evidence, say they found Dru Sjodin's shoe
Police confirm blood evidence, say they found Dru Sjodin's shoe
Dave Kolpack and Curt Woodward, Associated Press Published December 9, 2003 DRU10 GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Hopes of finding a missing college student alive faded Tuesday, as authorities confirmed a preliminary finding of her blood in a suspect's car and revealed that they had found one of her shoes near the Red Lake River. Dru Sjodin, a 22-year-old University of North Dakota student, has been missing since Nov. 22. Thousands of volunteers have searched for her since. Grand Forks County Sheriff Dan Hill said he thinks it unlikely that Sjodin is alive. ``I certainly hate to be discouraging to the family or anyone, but it looks to me now that it's more of a recovery mission than a rescue,'' Hill said, in an interview with The Associated Press. Hill confirmed that investigators made a preliminary DNA match of blood found in the car of a suspect, Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., with DNA taken from Sjodin's toothbrush. Asked how much blood was found in Rodriguez's car, Hill said a small amount. He described it as ``a spattering.'' Searchers look for Dru Sjodin northeast of Grand Forks.Mike ZerbyStar TribuneSjodin's shoe was found early in the week following her disappearance, Hill said, but not revealed until Tuesday. No other clothing has been found, he said. A press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. today. North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty are expected to attend. An affidavit unsealed later Tuesday had only one new piece of information: Rodriguez's account of his whereabouts at the time Sjodin disappeared. According to the affidavit, Rodriguez told police he was watching a movie, ``Once Upon a Time in Mexico,'' until 7 or 7:30 p.m. Police said the movie wasn't being shown at any theater near Columbia Mall that day. Sjodin was last heard from as she spoke with her boyfriend via cellphone from a Grand Forks mall parking lot. The call was cut off, but not before Sjodin said something like ``Oh my god,'' according to her boyfriend. Hill also confirmed other information reported in the case, including the finding of a knife in Rodriguez's trunk that matched a sheath found near Sjodin's car, and that Rodriguez's car and its trunk had been extensively cleaned before his arrest. Prosecutors said earlier they had probable cause to believe Rodriguez was at the mall at the time of Sjodin's disappearance. Rodriguez, a 50-year-old with a history of violent sexual assaults, was arrested Dec. 1 in nearby Crookston, Minn. He is jailed on $5 million bond, charged with kidnapping. Rodriguez was interviewed by authorities last week, but has since declined to speak with investigators. He has said through his attorney that he is innocent. Sjodin's family members did not immediately return calls Tuesday. On Monday, her father, Allan Sjodin, said he was dismayed to learn a knife had been recovered from Rodriguez's car. But given his criminal past, he said he was not surprised. ``You know what? It's probably true,'' Allan Sjodin said. ``That's his modus operandi.'' Rodriguez has said he wanted to stay in jail because of fears for his safety. He faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 4 and arraignment Feb. 6. Rodriguez is a convicted rapist who has a history of attempted kidnapping with adult women, and has used a weapon in at least one assault. He was registered as a predatory offender, the classification for those believed to be at the highest risk of committing another sex crime. Rodriguez was released from a Minnesota prison in May after serving 23 years for an attempted abduction in 1979. In that case, Rodriguez tried to abduct a woman off the street, and stabbed her when she fought back. |
This is so awful, but there's still hope for Dru. I'm not giving up hope until we find her. I also just found out that my friend in Phi Tau has a brother who was friends with Dru in high school. Apparently about half their chapter went to go help search.
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This is so very sad... I wish the best for her family and everyone else-- the diminishing hope of finding someone that is obviously SO cared about is the saddest thing.
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a large search will take place this friday, saturday, and sunday. north dakota and minnesota guard members and other state law enforcement officers will join the efforts. a news briefing will be given on thursday evening to give more info about the search.
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on cnn the sheriff says they don't think they'll find her alive. so sad :(
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I pray that they find Dru, whether it be her remains or God willing her alive somewhere, that way her parents, family,friends, and Sorors can start the healing process. My heart hurts to find out that her blood was found in this so called human beings car. In addition to the death penalty, he should be made to suffer the same way that Dru did.
To all the lovely GPhiB's around the World (especially Dru's Chapter) my prayers and thoughts are with you. May God keep you in the palm of his hands at this most trying time. To Dru's Parents and Family: My heart goes out to you at this most troubling and trying time. I too am a parent and I cannot even image the pain that you are going through (nor do I ever want to), but remember all the good times and know that Dru will always be with you, looking out for you in all that you do. Dru will be your guardian angel. I know that, that is no consolation and that you would rather have Dru here right now safe and sound by your side (that is my wish for you as well), but please know that our prayers are with you and may God keep you in the palm of his hands tonight and always. Mommag2 (Tanya Hernandez) and the Ladies of Gamma Alpha Omega-Omicron Chapter |
My prayers and hope go out to friends and family of Dru.
Animals like this "man" should be jailed forever or just taken out completely. This POS has already caused pain and suffering for others...justice. ha :( |
:( thoughts and prayers that everyone can have some closure. i pray for a happy ending, but...
north dakota offers a beautiful, but unforgiving winter. so terribly terribly sad |
Terrible stuff. Gives me chills when I read it:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/12/09/mi...ent/index.html |
all i can think when i read these most recent updates is that i hope the suspect DIES :mad: and this is coming from me, a very liberal and often overly compassionate person. however, this man deserves NO compassion. he was in prison already and had the chance to start his life over, but instead [it looks like] he took another. not only may he have taken dru's life, but he's taken something away from all of her friends and family, and from all of us who have followed this story and hoped for a happy ending. he's acted violently toward women in the past and this man needs to be stopped and punished. there is no longer a chance for rehabiliation. it looks as if he has gotten MORE violent. i'm sorry for the rant, but like all of you, i'm extremely upset by this. i STILL hope for a happy ending, but i'm sickened by the existence of this terrible man.
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http://burns.thefinaldimension.org/contrib/dvv/po.gif |
Hey guys, there's still a thread for talking about killing the bastard somewhere else in GC, it's linked in this thread.
I still refuse to believe Dru is dead until they find a body. People can bleed a lot and still be okay. I'm going to keep her and her family in my thoughts/prayers, and I think that's what we should focus on. |
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I agree that we all should keep Dru and her family in our thoughts and prayers. |
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The comment about Elizabeth Smart is important, though. There is still a chance, however slim. I think the best we can do is hope/pray for the best while preparing for the worst. |
While Hope may spring eternal,
after this long, I am soory to say, there would be little if any hope!:( While the Human body is resiliant, with out food and water, or depending on the weather conditions, her best hope was that she died as instanly a possible. Of course, with all of the things I mentioned about, a state of Euphoria sets in and you then just go to sleep! If you have ever been to a murder scene, it is not a pretty sight.:( The bladder and scphincter muscles release and well, it is not nice.:( I am sure this might be a little graphic, but truth will out!:( |
I just wish there would be some news soon!
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I haven't read this for sure but heard from a friend and am wondering if anyone can confirm.
Supposedly the suspects sister told the cops/parole board/jail/whatever that releasing him was a HUGE MISTAKE and to keep an eye on him. Then, supposedly after hearing a girl went missing, called the police, told them his name/location/vital stats and that is what led to his arrest. I find that shocking that if it weren't for her, God knows what would have happened. It's very true it oftens takes just one person with a clue, comment, etc and that can lead to an arrest. Regardless, I pray and hope she is found alive. |
If that is true, and if the suspect is guilty, then the sister deserves high praise. No matter what the circumstances, it can never be easy to notify the authorities of your sibling's potential guilt.
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It's true !!!! His sister had called the police, parole board and any other org within the legal community to try and have them keep her brother locked up longer and possibly for the rest of his life. She did tell them that he was a danger to the women in the community and when Dru went missing she called the police and told them that she thought her brother had kidnapped Dru. How sad
My parayers are with Dru's family, friends, and sisters |
I agree russellwarshay!
In all the articles I've read about this, they all said that he wasn't really watched after he was released. Why would they not watch him not only because he was at high risk of repeating his crimes, but also because the suspects own sister truly believed he was a danger to women in the community? It makes no sense :( |
Just wanted to let everyone know that there hasn't been any new news yet...Dru still has not been found at all, and it has been a good 3 weeks she she disappeared. I do still have hope, but it is fading quickly...Students and community members in Grand Forks continue to wear ribbons and buttons for Dru, and many of the Greek houses still are displaying the banners they made...
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this is so tragic what happend. this really hit home at my campus because one of the girls in my chapter was really good friends with her through out high school. our greek system has Dru and her family in our prayers.
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north dakota and minnesota national guard members spent the weekend seaching, but unfortunately nothing was found to lead authorities to dru. this was the last search for dru this winter.
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sigh....how sad....dru our hearts are with you.
i wish there were an easy happy ending. sigh! |
This has been on my mind frequently since Dru's story has become national. I often find myself thinking about her and her family throughout my day, and I remind myself how lucky I am to have my family in good health during the up comming holiday season. Its frustrating to say the least, but her story allows us all to remember how lucky we truly are.
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some news
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Other missing women merit same attention as Dru Sjodin
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Kristal Brent Zook Originally published December 22, 2003 NEW YORK -- Along with Dru Sjodin, the missing North Dakota woman, thousands of other people likely will also fail to find their way home this holiday season. But they are dismissed as too old or unattractive, too poor or tattooed or mentally unhinged to elicit the same response as Ms. Sjodin -- a blond, 22-year-old college student at the University of North Dakota who looked forward to a promising white-collar career. To read the Center for Missing Adults' gallery of lost names is a lesson in heartbreak (www.nmco.org). There is 22-year-old Tyesha Patrice Bell of Aurora, Ill. Ms. Bell, who is black, was last seen at her home in the early morning hours of May 10. Angela Marie Simpson, 19, from Boca Raton, Fla., is listed as white/Hispanic and was last seen at 2 a.m. May 16 at a halfway house, which she left on foot. And there's also 19-year-old Vanessa Maria Gonzales, who is Hispanic. She was getting out of an acquaintance's vehicle in Modesto, Calif., when she disappeared Nov. 1. Most of us will never know what happened to these women or what their lives were like before they were lost. And we will never hear word when their friends and families officially call off their own private searches, fearing the worst. Sadly, not even a fraction of the time and energy spent publicizing the Dru Sjodin case will be dedicated to these women. Countless others are in danger every day. They are victims of domestic violence. They are the elderly. They are the young who live in the borderlands between family and the streets. But their profiles are not deemed newsworthy. Ms. Sjodin's wholesome story made good news copy. So did the salacious narrative surrounding her Nov. 22 disappearance: There was the Victoria's Secret boutique where she worked, the walk to the parking lot and the alleged abduction by Alfonso Rodriguez, a Hispanic male and a known sexual predator and rapist. More than 1,300 volunteers have worked tirelessly for weeks looking for Ms. Sjodin. By early December, both the Minnesota and North Dakota National Guard had joined in the search, along with 30 FBI agents and special investigators from Canada. No such flurry of activity followed the disappearance of Angelina Wells from Mesa, Ariz., in April. But then again, Ms. Wells is a 47-year-old black woman. She wears glasses, has a scar above her right eye and wears her hair in a small, neat but not necessarily fashionable curl. Ms. Wells was reported missing after a family member found the front door to her home open, with her purse and other personal belongings inside. Deborah Lynn Gracia's September disappearance also went unnoticed by the nation. The 41-year-old woman from Riverside, Calif., listed as white/American Indian, was overweight, missing several teeth and visibly scarred. Now we're told that the search for Ms. Sjodin will wind down after the sad discovery of her blood in the suspect's car. Although her tenacious family refuses to give up hope that she may still be found alive, others are preparing for mourning. The Pequot Lakes, Minn., community, Ms. Sjodin's hometown, organized a candlelight vigil Tuesday in her honor. Maybe someone there will light a candle for the other 40,000 missing adults whose families are also heartbroken, and whose fate, like Ms. Sjodin's, remains unknown. Kristal Brent Zook is an adjunct professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. Columnist Cynthia Tucker is scheduled to return Jan. 5. |
I know it sounds callous.. but that's why I never get really excited or emotional over these stories. It's much more depressing if you just think of the thousands that go unreported and unnoticed.
I actually don't even like watching a news program when they're covering one of these missing persons. I usually just change the channel. |
i do not want to downplay what has happened to way too many other people. but one of the reasons dru has received so much publicity is because of the close knit communities from which she comes. und, grand forks, and north dakota are small communities and are very caring. also, dru being greek has helped. just the fact that she is a g.phi put her on greekchat which allowed her story to spread very quickly.
again, i don't want to imply in any way that her case should get any more publicity than any other. i just simply wanted to point out why it did. (and it's closer to home for me since i live in ND and we never really expect something like this to happen here.) |
At this point, in my opinion, Dru's abduction and probable murder does deserve greater attention than other cases because this is now clearly a public policy case. She was probably abducted by a convicted sexual predator who should have finished his life in jail.
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I read Ms. Zook's article in the Baltimore Sun yesterday and shook my head.
Yes, I understand her point that, just because those other women aren't pretty, blonde college students doesn't mean their cases are any less deserving of attention than Dru's case. And that's true. My feeling is not that Dru's case should be less publicized, but that the other women's cases should be MORE publicized. What should Dru's friends and family do? Figure that, since there are other missing women out there who aren't getting public attention, they shouldn't be trying to call attention to Dru because it "isn't fair?" No way. They should continue doing everything they can. |
I also think it depends on how much the family pushes to get the story out to the media. News reporters (I assume) won't hear that someone is missing and show up at your door asking to plaster the story all over the place. Someone took the initiative to put the website up, which also helped the story to spread like wildfire. I wonder how many families of these other missing people shrunk away from the spotlight and didn't really want their story covered? Seems like if they think it's unfair and they really wanted everyone to know about it, they would be making more noise. (After all, grassroots efforts/protests/etc. get lots of media attention because they make sure they get it.)
Sometimes you gotta make it happen....it's not going to come to you. PsychTau |
I completely agree with the Baltimore Sun article. Do you think if JonBenet Ramsey was a hispanic or african american little beauty queen it would have received national attention? Absolutely not.
I completely think the media likes to report of attractive white young females. Period. It is a shame that every person who goes missing, no matter what receives attention but I guess it's just not feasible because there are so many. It's a real shame. Personally, what made me interested in this story at first was that she was greek. If she happened to be hispanic, fat, missing teeth or whatever, I would have still been interested and I could care less if she works at Victoria's Secret or Walmart but the media obviously does. |
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Ms. Zook's ariticle begs a question to make a point. And I think that makes her wrong.
The fact is that there are also thousands of white women (and men) who are abducted and never or scarcely reported in the news. There are several good points above -- one being the fact that the alleged kidnapper/(probable) murderer is a convicted and then released known sex offender. That immediately adds a degree of sensationalism and political intrigue to the story. Second is the point that there might be more attention paid to other situations of this type if the police and families took the time to contact the media. I think that's absolutely true. That is partially being addressed by jurisdictions who use "Amber Alert." Those automatically bring abductions to the attention of the media -- and every one I've seen has been followed through until concluded. I can remember numerous abduction stories involving not only white but also young black and hispanic children in the Denver media over the past year. In fact, without doing a lot of research, my gut tells me there were more stories about children of color than others. Third, this kind of "sensational" story takes on a bigger than life feel when it happens in rural America rather than a major city where crime rates are higher. This kind of thing just isn't supposed to happen there -- we think. Add to the above, a couple of dynamics between local law enforcement and the media. In many places, cops just don't like reporters. At all. So, they don't routinely contact the media with stories -- unless it will obviously help their case or makes them look good. Also, in major cities, there is a certain degree of "business as usual" syndrome within the law enforcement community. Many missing persons are assumed to be runaways until they have been gone a substantial amount of time, or unless there is fairly clear evidence -- such as the cell phone call from Dru to her boyfriend that something is amiss. Finally, regarding Jon Benet Ramsey, it's my opinion that her murder caused such a stir not so much because she was a young white girl, but because of the almost bizarre life circumstances and pictures of this highly "made up" child. Add to that, the prominent social position of the parents -- particularly the highly driven "stage mother" -- herself a former beauty queen. In addition, the crime happened in "The People's Republic of Boulder" -- a story in itself. Finally, the alleged bungling of the case by the Boulder Police -- and their refusal to ask for assistance from the much better equipped and knowledgeable Denver Homicide folks, and the story just jumps off the page. And again, although Bolder has a fairly close proximity to Denver, this kind of crime is very rare there. So, for whatever it's worth, here's my read. If Ms. Zook's contention is that more (or all) abductions should be treated with the kind of celebrity that this case has -- I agree. If she feels that the coverage is simply a matter of race, I think she is missing the mark. |
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