At least 28 women were murdered in cases where the suspected,
alleged, or convicted perpetrator was a current or former
husband, boyfriend, intimate partner or household/family member
of the woman.
At least 13 children were murdered in cases where the suspected,
alleged, or convicted perpetrator was their mother's husband,
boyfriend, or intimate partner, or was the parent, foster parent,
guardian, babysitter, or household/family member of the child.
At least 5 family members or friends were murdered by a woman's current or former husband, boyfriend or partner.
Rights Reserved. We ask that any use of this information be
identified as collected by the battered women's movement in
Minnesota through the:
Women murdered
1. Francis Wilson Minneapolis January 13, 1993
Francis was found strangled in her apartment. Her great-nephew, Cedar Mountain Monahan, 19,
told police that he strangled her and punched and stomped on her head in a fit of anger. He
was charged with second-degree murder. 2. Blia Yang, 29 Rochester January 19, 1993 Blia was found dead on her living room floor with a slashed
throat. Her two small children were in the home, unhurt. Blia was eight months pregnant
with her third child. She had emigrated with her family from Laos and was a bi-lingual
specialist and nursing assistant. The man determined to be the father of the child she
was carrying, Chao Yang, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in her
death and the death of the fetus. 3. Bridget Risley, 15 Minneapolis January 20, 1993 Bridget was on the telephone when she was shot by a boy, 14, who was
"playing" with a gun. The boy was arrested and charged with felony murder and theft of a firearm.
The county attorney is seeking to have the boy tried as an adult. 4. Sherri Kay Kadin, 29 Floodwood January 30, 1993 Sherri was shot and killed while working as a caregiver in a home for
people with disabilities. Police arrested Sherri's former husband, Marvin Freeman, 28, who is
suspected of going to her workplace and shooting her with a small caliber weapon. A court order
against Freeman to cease harassment of Sherri expired in December, 1992. Family members reported
that Sherri had been physically and emotionally abused by Freeman. Sherri is survived by two
daughters, ages 6 and 7. Authorities are seeking first-degree murder charges against Freeman. 5. Patricia Mae Freitag Coon Rapids February 10, 1993 Patricia was found lying in the parking lot of an apartment complex by
a neighbor who took her into the apartment lobby. She was wearing only underwear and a T-shirt.
Patricia was taken to a hospital where she died an hour later. Kevin Frank, 35, was arrested and
released pending further investigation. He told authorities that he and Sherri argued outside her
apanment and that when he was about to drive off, she approached his vehicle and banged on it.
He said Sherri could have slipped or fallen and that he might have run over her. He saw her lying
on the ground but wasn't sure what had happened. He said he thought he hit a bump, but later told
police that Sherri might have been hit. Former neighbors reported that Sherri had been badly beaten
by him in the past and that she had called police numerous times for help. 6. Karen Nelson, 35 Crookston February 14, 1993 Karen had sought court protection from her abusive husband even though
he warned her that he would find her "before any cops can." She was shot to death on Valentine's
Day by Gerald Nelson, 37, who then killed himself. Karen was a Girl Scout leader and county social
services worker. She had obtained a temporary restraining order a week earlier prohibiting her husband
from entering their home. In her request for the order, she wrote of verbal and physical abuse during
their 15-year marriage. Karen is survived by two teen-age children and a 7-year-old. 7. Mary Rita Kay Minneapolis February 15, 1993 Mary was killed in a hospice unit of a hospital. She was suffering
from cancer. Nurses found her nephew, Phillip Eddleston, straddling his aunt's head and holding
a pillow over her face. Mary's oxygen supply had also been removed. Eddleston told the nurses,
"She told me that she wanted to die." Mary's son, William Kay, said he had talked with his mother
the previous evening and they had discussed bringing her other son, Roy, home from Switzerland to
see her before she died. He said his mother had made no request to have anyone assist her in dying.
Eddleston was charged with second-degree murder. 8. Debbie Blackstock Silver Bay February 17, 1993 Debbie was shot to death in her home with a rifle. Her husband, Bruce
Blackstock, 33, was arrested an hour later. When police arrived at the Blackstock home, the squad
car was fired upon by someone in the woods near the house. The shot hit the car, but didn't injure
the officer. After a search of the woods, Blackstock was found lying down with a rifle leaning
against a nearby tree. Debbie is survived by three children, ages 6, 9, and 11. 9. Dawn Rung, 25 Coon Rapids Disappeared January 4, 1993
Body found March 12, 1993Dawn was reported missing on January 4th. Her body was found on March 12th by police
who had been investigating her disappearance and came to suspect foul play. Her estranged husband, Scott Rung,
told police he killed Dawn and hid her body in a wall of their home. He reported he had been angered over an
argument they had over a pending divorce. Scott Rung pleaded guilty to second degree murder and has been
sentenced to 26 years in prison. 10. Daillene Counts, 23 Red Wing March 21, 1993 Daillene Mae was found dead in her home by neighbors who said the
woman's four-year-old daughter was screaming "Bill killed her!" Daillene's two-year-old son
and another daughter, 11 months, were also in the house screaming. Police believe Counts' former
boyfriend, William J Auchampach Jr., 23, stabbed her to death Friday evening and left the children
alone in the house until they were discovered 20 hours later. Auchampach had appeared in court the
day before the attack where he pleaded guilty to violating a restraining order filed by Daillene.
Auchampach was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count each of child neglect
and child endangerment. He was found guilty of first degree murder. 11. Jayne Annette Gray, 34 Bagley April 19, 1993 Jayne was shot to death on a bed in her home. She died of two
small-caliber gunshot wounds to the head. Her four children were in the house and heard
the shots that killed her. Jayne's husband, Thomas Richard Gray, 37, dropped the children
off at a neighbor's house following the early morning shooting and that afternoon he turned
himself in to the Sheriff's office. The oldest boy, nine, told police he heard his mother
scream. The eight-year-old boy reported being awakened by the sound of two loud bangs.
Gray was charged with second-degree murder and a psychiatric evaluation was ordered.
Jayne is survived by a daughter and three sons. 12. Taqita Johnson Bloomington April 28, 1993 Relatives of Taqita found her body and the body of an unidentified
male in her apartment, victims of an apparent murder/suicide. The man is believed to be her
boyfriend. Her relatives, visiting from out-of-state, called her workplace when they could
not get into the apartment. A caretaker helped them enter the apartment where the bodies were found. 13. Carol Terry, 33 Minneapolis May 27, 1993 Terry was beaten by her boyfriend nine years ago, on November 15,
1984, and had been immobile on a life-support system since that time. She died on May 27th.
Although the police consider her death a homicide, her boyfriend, Clarence Moore, then 28,
was charged at the time of the beating with attempted second-degree murder and pleaded guilty.
He cannot now be charged with the same crime. He was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. He had
stabbed her, hit her in the face and stomped on her head. 14. Jacqueline Schultz, 30 Rockford June 13, 1993 Jacqueline was stabbed 14 times during an argument with her husband,
Jorge Valentine Miranda-Alonso, 37. They had driven to Lake Rebecca Park Preserve to discuss
a matter when the attack occurred. The attack was witnessed by a person who was in the park.
The two had known each other for 12 years and been married for two months. Miranda-Alonso was
charged with first-degree murder. 15. Amber DeMarrias, 19 St. Paul June 27, 1993 Amber was found stabbed to death in her sister's apartment. Her
boyfriend, Edubijes Hernandez, 19, called his mother from the apartment in the middle of the
night and told her he killed Amber. He threatened to turn on the gas, light a match and blow
himself up. He also threatened to "pretend he had a gun so that the police could kill him."
He was bleeding from self-inflicted wounds when police arrived at the scene. Friends and
family members of Amber said that the couple had dated for six months to a year and that
Amber had been trying to break off the relationship because it had grown abusive. Hernandez
was charged with second-degree murder. 16. Diane Schultz, 27 St. Paul July 5, 1993 Diane and a friend, Brian Donahue, were shot to death at a
July 4th Holiday party. A friend of Diane's reported that Scott Debban was upset over the breakup of his
relationship with Diane and that Diane had been dating Brian's brother. Debban had been drinking at the party,
left and returned with an AK-47 assault rifle. He pointed it at a group of six people, including Diane and Brian,
and emptied the rifle of five bullets which struck and killed them both. Debban was charged with two counts of
intentional second-degree murder. 17. Wanda Woodruff, 36 Minneapolis July 14, 1993 Wanda was found on the floor of the drycleaning shop in which she
worked. She died from a .22-caliber bullet wound in the head. Fragments of a potato were
found in her hair and elsewhere at the scene, indicating the vegetable apparently had been
used to silence the pistol shot. The day of the slaying, three witnesses saw a man clad in
a white hooded sweat shirt and a yellow raincoat run from the area of the cleaners. A yellow
raincoat later was found in a closet in the Woodruff home, and all three witnesses identified
it as similar to the one worn by the man who fled. Wanda's husband, Aldrick Woodruff, was charged
with first-degree murder. He apparently was upset over the recent break-up of their marriage. Wanda
is survived by six children. 18. Katherine Fritz, 55 Duluth August 1, 1993 Katherine Fritz was shot in the head and killed by her former boyfriend,
Duane Radulovich, who then killed himself. Katherine was entertaining friends, Violet Kubart, 55,
and Harold Kubart, 64. in her home when Radulovich came over, argued with her for a few moments
and then shot her in the head. He then shot the Kubarts in the chest and torso. The three bodies
were found a short time after the shootings by friends who arrived for a social gathering. Later,
police found Radulovich in his garage with a single bullet wound to the head. Police said he was
probably upset over a recent break-up with Katherine. A neighbor said Radulovich was friendly and
helpful. She said, "He would listen to classical music in his apartment and whistle along with it." 19. Roberta Lindberg, 27 Duluth August 10, 1993 Roberta was hacked to death with a machete by her husband,
Jonathan Lindberg, 28. He then committed suicide by jumping into the path of a bus.
Jonathan had a history of violent behavior and had been court ordered to stay away
from his wife and son for most of last year. Roberta reported that he had beat, hit,
choked and threatened her. She was seeking an end to the relationship and had recently
filed for divorce. She is survived by a four-year-old son who apparently witnessed the slaying. 20. Barbara Jean Smith, 31 New Hope September 26, 1993 Barbara Jean died of multiple stab wounds inflicted to her upper chest
during an argument with her boyfriend. One of Barbara's children called 911 screaming that his
mother was being beaten. Police arrived within four minutes and found Barbara Jean, administered
first-aid and took her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Police arrested her boyfriend,
William Joseph Robinson at the scene. New Hope police said they had had a "bunch of calls from there",
the most recent being a week and a half ago. Robinson was charged with fifth-degree assault on Barbara
Jean about a year ago. Barbara Jean is survived by three children ages 13, 10 and 8. 21. Jennifer Noack, 23 Crusyal October 16, 1993 Jennifer was shot and killed by her boyfriend, Duane F. Arbuckle, who then
shot and killed himself. Jennifer had just started a graduate program at the University of Wisconsin
in Eau Claire and worked in the Twin Cities on weekends. She was breaking up with Arbuckle and had
gone to his apartment to pick up some belongings. When she didn't show up for work on Saturday morning
the police were called. 22. Christine Thomason, 32 Lake County October 19, 1993 Hunters found parts of Christine's body in a wooded area north of Two Harbors.
Her body had been cut into more than 50 pieces . Arthur Nordahl, the owner of the restaurant where
Christine worked as waitress and manager, was charged with second-degree murder, and admitted to
dismembering and disposing of her body. He is being held in the Carlton County jail while the
investigation is completed. No details of the cause of death or a motive have been disclosed. 23. Cynthia Grube, 26 Appleton October 26, 1993 Cynthia's body was found dumped at an abandoned farm. She had been
strangled to death. The farm belonged to the grandmother of Cynthia's husband, Keith Grube.
Authorities believe he strangled Cynthia in their home then dumped her body at the farm.
Grube faces two counts of second-degree murder in Cynthia's death. 24. Barbara Ann Scott, 33 Falcon Heights October 25, 1993 Barbara Ann's body was found by police wrapped in blankets and a bedspread
in her townhome. A co-worker of Barbara Ann's called police when she did not report for work. Soon
after finding her body, law enforcement got a call from a man identifying himself as David Wayne
Vanderbeck, stating he had killed his girlfriend and wanted to clear things up. At the time of the
call Vanderbeck was 800 miles away in Canada. He was arrested by federal authorities as he reentered
the United States. Vanderbeck has served time in jail for a previous second-degree assault. He awaits
sentencing on second-degree murder charges. 25. Janice Floyd, 50 Shoreview November 21, 1993 Janice was shot to death by her boyfriend, Steven Maitrejean. She
was attempting to end an abusive relationship with Maitrejean and had taken refuge at a
former boyfriend's home. Maitrejean arrived at the home and shot both Janice and Kenneth Hoppe.
Both were dead at the scene. Maitrejean fled the scene and went to a sister's home, where he shot and killed himself
as law enforcement officers attempted to subdue him. 26. Sandra Jackson, 41 Minneapolis November 21, 1993 Sandra Lee was found strangled in her apartment. One small news account
reported she was "killed during a domestic dispute." Police detained a suspect. 27. Mary Ann Hagford, 20 Crystal December 19, 1993 Mary Ann was killed by a single gunshot to the head in her ex-boyfriend's
home in the middle of the afternoon. The killing occurred during an argument that erupted while she
and her former boyfriend, Paul Arthur Wilson, were putting up a Christmas tree. One of Wilson's
parents called police, though the parent was not in the house at the time of the shooting. Officers
reported being called to Mary Ann's home frequently for domestic assaults and Wilson had been arrested
in August on charges of assaulting her. Wilson, 26, was arrested by the Crystal police and a handgun
was recovered from the crime scene. 28. Louella LeTourneau, 55 Eveleth Missing December 13, 1993
Found December 21, 1993Louella disappeared on December 13, 1993. Her husband, Tom, reported her
missing to police the next day. The couple had been separated but reportedly planned to reconcile.
Louella had recently ended a relationship with Richard Little, 54, who she had dated while separated
from her husband. She had been missing eight days when Little led police to her body, buried in a
snowbank in a wooded area. This followed a negotiated plea agreement in which authorities agreed
to not seek first-degree murder charges with the requirement that Little tell authorities where
Louella's body was dumped and how he had killed her. He then plead guilty to second-degree murder.
Little had shot Louella three times with a .38-caliber revolver and stabbed her with a knife on a
remote highway bridge and disposed of her body. There was evidence that he mutilated a portion of
Louella's face after her death, including that he cut away her lips and half her face. Little was
sentenced to 40 years in prison.
1. Daniel Johnson, 1 Minneapolis January, 1993 Daniel died of suffocation. His father, Michael Johnson, 19, told police that when
the child woke up crying and fussy he held the child tightly to his chest to muffle the cries. After the baby
became quiet he continued to hold the baby in the same position. An autopsy discovered that Daniel had three
healed rib fractures and one recent rib fracture. Johnson was charged with second-degree manslaughter. 2. Travis Rausch, 15 mos. LeCenter March 23, 1993 Travis died as a result of a skull fracture. His mother's boyfriend,
Christopher Johnson, 22, was caring for Travis and became upset when the child began splashing
water while in the bathtub. Johnson told authorities the child's behavior got on his nerves and
he sort of "lost it". Travis was on life support systems for a week before he died. He is
survived by his mother, Melissa Rausch. Johnson was charged with second-degree and third-degree murder. 3. Brooke Piekarski, 13 mos. Little Falls July 17, 1993 Brooke was found dead in a home when emergency personnel arrived. She had
bruises on her head and body. The autopsy indicated she died of blunt force injuries. A 15-year-old
girl, who was babysitting Brooke at the time, was held by authorities and suspected of causing Brooke's
death. The girl was a family friend who was babysitting for a couple of days. 4. Shanae Jackson, 5 and
5. Jason Mann, Jr., 2St. Paul July 21, 1993 Concerned family members called police to the apartment of Debra
Jackson, where they found the bodies of her daughter, Shanae, and son, Jason, in an upstairs
bedroom. Both had been repeatedly stabbed. Their mother, Debra Jackson, 33, had superficial
stab wounds on her wrists, neck, chest and abdomen which were believed to have been self-inflicted.
She had struggled with paranoid schizophrenia for years and had been hospitalized for this condition
in the past. Debra Jackson was charged with two counts of intentional second-degree murder and a
psychiatric exam was ordered. 6. Michael Peterson, 4 mos. Minneapolis August 3, 1993 Michael was rushed to the hospital following a 911 call made by his parents.
He was in a coma when he reached the hospital and died 5 days later. X-rays and the autopsy concluded
that Michael's death was a homicide caused by blunt-force trauma consistent with shaking. X-rays showed
he had a fractured thigh bone and a fractured collar bone. Michael had been hospitalized two weeks
earlier with suspicious facial bruises and vomiting and he was held in protective custody while a
child abuse investigation was conducted. He was then returned to his parents. Michael's mother,
Kimberly Joy Peterson, said the baby was fine the evening of July 30th when she went to take a
shower. When she emerged, she found the father holding the child, who was limp and not breathing.
Michael's father, John Michael Peterson, 22, was charged with second-degree murder. 7. Jessica McClure, 10 mos. Lakeville August 17, 1993 Jessica was found unconscious, with no heartbeat and not breathing, when
officers responded to a 911 call to her home. They restored a heartbeat and she was taken to the
hospital where she remained in a coma for two days before she died. The autopsy concluded she
died from blunt-force injuries. Jessica had suffered 14 broken bones in the previous two months.
The McClures were in the process of adopting Jessica. No charges have been filed but the death
is being investigated as a homicide. 8. Timothy Vojta, 19 mos. Brooklyn Park August 17, 1993 Timothy was taken to the hospital by paramedics that had been called to
his home. He lapsed into a coma and died 6 days later. Police had been called to the home seven
times in the past two months when Timothy had stopped breathing. When questioned, Timothy's mother,
JoAnne Vojta, 28, told doctors and a social worker that she routinely smothered her little boy by
cupping her hand over his mouth and nose to stop him from breathing. She reported she did this to
prevent her estranged husband from visiting or gaining custody of Timothy. She wanted him
hospitalized where she felt he would be safe from his father, Keven Vojta, of Coon Rapids. In
an order for protection filed on Februray 20, 1992, JoAnne Vojta reported that Kevin was abusive
toward her and the baby. She said he raped her in 1991, poured ice-cold water on Timothy because
he was crying and yanked on the baby's arms. She also reported that he told her he would "take a
gun to her to get Timothy," and she feared her husband would abduct Timothy out of state. JoAnne
was charged with first-degree murder. 9. D'Amatae Blair, 18 mos. Minneapolis August 20, 1993 Minneapolis police think that 23-year-old Terrece J. Blair jumped to her death
from a fifth floor apartment window, but are uncertain whether she dropped or took eighteen-month old
D'Amatae out the window with her, or whether the boy climbed on furniture to reach the window sill and
fell out after her. The deaths were caused by multiple injury. Foul play has not been ruled out, but
available evidence points to the mother's suicide although no suicide note was found. Another child,
a four-year-old girl, was in the apartment when the two fell from the window. Terrece Blair had called
a male friend to the apartment and apparently arrived after both she and the baby had gone out the window.
He was found asleep when police arrived and was unaware of the whereabouts of Terrece and D'Amatae. 10. Baby Girl Buranen, 1 day Forest Lake September 15, 1993 Baby Girl Buranen was found September 27th in a shallow grave. The baby was
born September 15th to sixteen-year-old Michelle Buranen. The child suffered ten stab wounds and may
have been drowned in a tub or toilet before being placed in a garbage bag and buried behind the family's
home. Buranen was charged as a juvenile with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree
murder, second-degree manslaughter, and interfering with a dead body. She told a friend that she gave birth
to the baby in the toilet and that the infant made noises as if she was breathing. She also told the friend
that she might have cut the infant with the knife she used to sever the umbilical cord. Buranen's father
said that he did not learn of the death until the police were called and the body was discovered. Buranen's
attorney moved, unsuccessfully, for dismissal of all charges because the defense was unable to examine the
baby's body which the family had cremated on October 4th. 11. James Zelinsky, 4 1/2 mos. Underwood September 25, 1993 Four and a half-month-old James Edward died in a Fargo hospital on September
25th. His mother, Diane Lynne Barrett, 33, was charged with third-degree murder. The autopsy showed that
James' skull was fractured causing hemorrhages and brain swelling. The injury was probably caused by
shaking and slamming the child's head into something like a wall. The injuries were sustained on
September 21st and James stopped breathing on September 23rd. The autopsy also found that James
had suffered multiple rib, arm and leg fractures which had occurred at various ages. Authorities
plan to seek a grand jury indictment for first-degree murder charges against Barrett. Barrett and
her boyfriend, who is the infant's father, moved to the area within the last year because he had
relatives nearby. He was serving a prison sentence for repeated DWI offenses at the time of James' death. 12. Unnamed Infant Minneapolis October 2, 1993 A thirty-two-year-old woman walked into a restaurant carrying a dead infant
beneath her coat. She tried to write a note to an off-duty Minneapolis police officer. When he told
the woman that he could not understand what she was trying to write, she told him that she had a baby
with a cracked skull. When the officer asked her where the baby was, she opened her coat and showed
the officer an obviously dead infant wrapped inside her coat. Police reported the woman exhibited
bizarre behavior and was taken into custody for her own safety. They later learned she had a history
of mental problems and is considered a vulnerable adult. She has four other children placed with relatives. 13. Denzel Bellaphant St. Paul December 20, 1993 Denzel died at a children's hospital where he was taken after his
mother, Rosetta Minette Bellaphant, 20, called paramedics to their home saying he had stopped
breathing. After his death, his mother described Denzel as always screaming and crying and admitted
to shaking him to get him to be quiet. She demonstrated the way she shook Denzel, holding him by the
upper arms and shoulders with an unsupported head. The autopsy showed massive brain swelling, a broken
upper-right arm, broken collarbone, and eye hemorrhages--all injuries consistent with shaken child
syndrome. Bellaphant was charged with second-degree murder and was jailed when unable to post $100,000 bail. 1. Aurora Delgado, 47 St. Paul March 14, 1993 Aurora was visiting at the home of her friend, Susan Vasquez, when
the friend's estranged husband went to the house and told her to leave. He went to his car,
returned with a handgun and fired one shot which struck Aurora in the chest. He was arrested
and is being held in Ramsey Co Jail. 2. Brian Donahue St. Paul July 5, 1993 Scott Debban shot and killed his roommate, Brian Donahue, and Debban's
former girlfriend, Diane Schultz, at a July 4 party. A friend of Diane's
reported that Debban was upset over the breakup of his relationship with her and that Diane had
been dating Donahue's brother. Debban had been drinking at the party, left and returned with an
AK-47 assault rifle. He pointed it at a group of six people, including Brian and Diane, and emptied
the rifle of five bullets which struck and killed them both. Debban has been charged with two counts
of intentional second-degree murder. 3. Violet Kubart, 55
4. Harold Kubart, 64Duluth August 1, 1993 Katherine Fritz was shot and killed by her former
boyfriend, Duane Radulovich. Katherine was entertaining friends Violet and Harold Kubart in her
home when Radulovich came over, argued with her for a few moments and then shot her in the head.
He then shot the Kubarts. The three bodies were found a short time after the shootings by friends
who arrived for a social gathering. Police staked out the home of Radulovich and found he had shot
and killed himself in his garage. 5. Kenneth J. Hoppe, 61 Shoreview November 21, 1993 Kenneth and Janice Floyd, 50, were shot to death in his home by Janice's ex-husband,
Steven Maitrejean, 45, who later committed suicide. Janice and Kenneth had lived together, in the past, for about three years. Then
about a year ago, Janice moved out and married Maitrejean. When that relationship became abusive, Janice divorced Maitrejean and
asked her old boyfriend for a place to stay. Maitrejean had come to the house three weeks earlier and threatened her with a gun.
"1993 FEMICIDE REPORT - Women and Children Murdered" - is compiled
from news accounts and information provided by law enforcement
agencies, county attorneys, court administrators, battered
women's programs, and family members and friends of murder
victims. Please contact us if you have updated or more complete
information on any homicide.
450 N. Syndicate St, Suite 122
St Paul, MN 55104
651/646-6177 Voice/TDD * 646-1527 FAX
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