312:, when deep snow drifts began to melt. Crookston is also where Rodriguez lived with his mother. Sjodin's body was found partially nude and face down in a ravine. Her hands were tied behind her back; she had been beaten, stabbed, and sexually assaulted, and had several lacerations including a five-and-a-half inch cut on her neck. A rope was also tied around her neck and remnants of a shopping bag were found under the rope, suggesting that a bag had been placed on her head. The medical examiner concluded that she had either died as a result of the major neck wound, from suffocation, or from exposure to the elements. Thousands of people had helped search for Sjodin, and hundreds attended her funeral.
148:. During this time, Sjodin was speaking with her boyfriend, Chris Lang, on her cell phone. Four minutes into their conversation, Lang reports Sjodin was saying "Okay, okay," before the call abruptly ended. Lang suspected that the call was just dropped and because Sjodin didn't give any sense of urgency, Lang thought nothing of it. About three hours later, Lang received another call from her cell phone, but heard only static and the sound of buttons being pressed. It was reported by authorities this second phone call originated somewhere near
305:
Notably, Rodriguez possessed two specific tool kit knives available only at a certain home center store located approximately a mile from the mall. These knives, however, were not purchased on the day Sjodin vanished, and their exact purchase date remains unknown. In
Rodriguez's car, police found one of these tool kit knives submerged in a cleaning solution in the rear wheel well. Additionally, a woman's shoe and another knife with blood matching Sjodin's DNA were discovered in the vehicle.
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152:, but that has remained unsubstantiated. With this second call and Sjodin not showing up at her other job at the El Roco nightclub, there was concern for her whereabouts. A week later, on December 1, a suspect, 50-year-old registered level-3 sex offender Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. (born February 18, 1953), was arrested in connection with Sjodin's disappearance.
410:. The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) is an unprecedented public safety resource that provides the public with access to sex offender data nationwide. NSOPW is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice and state, territorial and tribal governments, working together for the safety of adults and children.
304:
at the
Columbia Mall Cinema 4. This claim was disproven as the film was not screening at that cinema or any other local theater at the time. Further investigations revealed receipts from Rodriguez's purchases at various stores around the mall, including one from a nearby Menards store for a knife.
336:
and
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Reisenauer and Norman Anderson prosecuted the case against Rodriguez. On August 30, 2006, Rodriguez was convicted in federal court of kidnapping resulting in death for the murder of Dru Sjodin, and on September 22, 2006, the jury recommended that he receive the
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Medical
Examiner, was “unreliable, misleading and inaccurate” and that Rodriguez's attorneys did him a disservice by opting to limit the mental health evaluation of Rodriguez which could have resulted in the possible use of the
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382:, overturned his sentence and ordered that a new sentencing phase be conducted due to "misleading testimony from a medical examiner and limitations on mental health evidence". The testimony in court of Michael McGee, the
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On March 14, 2023, prosecutors announced that they would no longer seek the death penalty for
Rodriguez. Rodriguez was sentenced to life without parole on May 18, 2023.
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to rape and was convicted multiple times for rape. He had a long criminal record that included repeated sexual assaults against women. He was released as a
Minnesota
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motion claiming that
Rodriguez is mentally disabled. On June 28, 2013, Rodriguez admitted his guilt in a death row interview with Dr. Michael Welner.
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Police reports indicate that
Rodriguez claimed to have been near Columbia Mall on the evening of Sjodin's disappearance, reportedly watching
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law, as neither state has the death penalty. It was the first death penalty case in a century to take place in North Dakota. U.S. Attorney
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Rodriguez had been released from prison May 1, 2003, after serving a 23-year prison term for rape, aggravated assault and
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store located in the
Columbia Mall in Grand Forks, North Dakota. After shopping for and purchasing a new purse from
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Alfonso
Rodriguez Jr. was the son of migrant farm workers Dolores and Alfonso Rodriguez Sr., who traveled between
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1083:"On death row, killer of UND student Dru Sjodin questions juror conduct in death penalty sentencing"
1230:"A memorial in her hometown allows friends, family to remain connected to slain student Dru Sjodin"
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At 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 22, 2003, Sjodin, a 22-year-old college student at the
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Because Sjodin had been taken across state lines, the crime became a federal case under the
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1183:"Death sentence for Alfonso Rodriguez, who killed Dru Sjodin, changed to life in prison"
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In 2004, a scholarship in Sjodin's name was set up at the University of North Dakota.
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1283:– Dru Sjodin murder and trial coverage from Crime Library (Archived)
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November 22, 2003) was an American woman who was abducted from the
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353:. Judge Erickson arranged that Rodriguez would be executed in
1163:"US no longer seeking death for man convicted in Sjodin case"
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Sjodin's body was recovered on April 17, 2004, just west of
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death penalty. On February 8, 2007, Rodriguez was formally
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In 2021, the same judge who sentenced Rodriguez to death,
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942:"Judge Imposes Death in Killing of North Dakota Student"
883:"Prosecutors oppose moving Rodriguez trial to Minnesota"
1277:– Full article and video list from KXMB in Bismarck, ND
630:"Phone Calls May Provide Clues in Missing Student Case"
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A memorial garden for Sjodin opened in her hometown of
406:, was passed in 2006 and signed into law by President
271:, and Minnesota and then decided to settle in 1963 in
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United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
1137:"Judge tosses death sentence in Dru Sjodin slaying"
1025:"Jurors sentence Rodriguez to death in Sjodin case"
360:In October 2011, defense attorneys filed a federal
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1271:– Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website
553:"Hundreds expected to search for missing student"
402:Legislation dubbed "Dru's Law", which set up the
404:Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry
228:Kidnapping resulting in death (18 U.S.C. § 1201)
144:, Sjodin left the mall and began walking to her
118:Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry
967:"Man Found Guilty in College Student's Slaying"
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601:"Sjodin's Boyfriend Missed Phone Call Urgency"
490:Judge sentences Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. to death
460:List of death row inmates in the United States
290:which meant he was highly likely to reoffend.
1265:, Facebook page about "Dru's Law" legislation
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1054:"Student Killer Formally Sentenced To Death"
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470:Sex offender registries in the United States
680:"Renewed Calls for Tough Sex Offender Laws"
575:"Sheriff: 'No chance we'll find Dru alive'"
136:sorority member, finished her shift at the
711:"Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator"
493:. Minnesota Public Radio. February 2, 2007
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1361:November 2003 crimes in the United States
1331:Deaths by stabbing in the United States
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282:a woman. Rodriguez had also previously
1201:"National Sex Offender Public Website"
996:"Death Sentence for Student's Slaying"
910:"Sjodin trial opening statements made"
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717:. United States Department of Justice
688:. Associated Press. November 22, 2008
653:"Leads grow cold for missing student"
7:
1366:Sexual assaults in the United States
1356:Missing person cases in North Dakota
1023:Kolpack, Dave (September 22, 2006).
994:Kolpack, Dave (September 22, 2006).
465:List of solved missing persons cases
1351:Incidents of violence against women
347:United States Penitentiary, Coleman
256:United States Penitentiary, Coleman
940:Sander, Libby (February 9, 2007).
519:Hewitt, Bill (December 15, 2003).
25:
1316:2003 murders in the United States
1215:"Dru Sjodin Memorial Scholarship"
1052:Alfano, Sean (February 8, 2007).
908:Kolpack, Dave (August 14, 2006).
651:Davis, Lisa (November 30, 2003).
1346:History of women in North Dakota
1326:Deaths by person in North Dakota
1228:Forliti, Amy (August 13, 2006).
1117:. Associated Press. May 21, 2013
1081:Wagner, Steve (August 6, 2015).
853:Lee, Steve (November 16, 2013).
797:Lee, Steve (December 10, 2003).
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799:"Affidavit paints grim picture"
881:Kolpack, Dave (May 22, 2006).
727:BOP Register Number: 08720-059
1:
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632:. ABC News. January 6, 2006
345:. He is imprisoned at the
244:without the possibility of
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1306:2000s missing person cases
766:"The Murder of Dru Sjodin"
741:"The Murder of Dru Sjodin"
301:Once Upon a Time in Mexico
130:University of North Dakota
715:Federal Bureau of Prisons
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110:Grand Forks, North Dakota
88:Grand Forks, North Dakota
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1341:Formerly missing people
555:. CNN. December 3, 2003
418:Pequot Lakes, Minnesota
146:1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass
69:Pequot Lakes, Minnesota
1275:www.kxmb.com/rodriguez
658:Lawrence Journal-World
378:, now a judge for the
341:by U.S District Judge
322:Federal Kidnapping Act
100:(September 26, 1981 –
27:American murder victim
1336:Female murder victims
753:on February 10, 2015.
164:Alfonso Rodriguez Jr.
114:Alfonso Rodriguez Jr.
1321:Capital murder cases
1311:2003 in North Dakota
1281:www.crimelibrary.com
915:The Bismarck Tribune
778:on February 10, 2015
438:United States portal
316:Trial and sentencing
310:Crookston, Minnesota
294:Police investigation
288:Level 3 sex offender
273:Crookston, Minnesota
1143:. September 7, 2021
1088:The Bemidji Pioneer
1001:The Washington Post
887:Farmers Independent
774:: 3. Archived from
521:"Searching for Dru"
269:Crystal City, Texas
1062:. Associated Press
1033:. Associated Press
1004:. Associated Press
946:The New York Times
918:. Associated Press
889:. Associated Press
860:Grand Forks Herald
803:Grand Forks Herald
685:The New York Times
581:. December 9, 2003
339:sentenced to death
252:Imprisoned at
176:Rodriguez, in 2000
98:Dru Katrina Sjodin
65:September 26, 1981
55:Dru Katrina Sjodin
1235:Houston Chronicle
1171:. March 14, 2023.
1095:on August 8, 2015
1030:La Crosse Tribune
975:. August 31, 2006
972:Los Angeles Times
834:(17). May 3, 2004
607:. August 30, 2006
391:by their client.
376:Ralph R. Erickson
343:Ralph R. Erickson
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192:February 18, 1953
150:Fisher, Minnesota
138:Victoria's Secret
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355:South Dakota
334:Drew Wrigley
326:North Dakota
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210:Incarcerated
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82:(2003-11-22)
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1263:Dru's Voice
1066:January 11,
1037:January 11,
1008:January 11,
979:January 11,
951:January 11,
664:February 7,
537:November 2,
156:Perpetrator
1300:Categories
1287:Dru Sjodin
1245:January 1,
922:January 1,
893:January 1,
866:January 1,
838:January 1,
808:January 9,
692:January 9,
636:January 9,
611:January 1,
585:January 1,
559:January 1,
476:References
452:Law portal
280:kidnapping
188:1953-02-18
61:1981-09-26
36:Dru Sjodin
18:Dru Sjodin
782:March 30,
330:Minnesota
1059:CBS News
605:ABC News
497:July 23,
424:See also
1187:InForum
1141:AP NEWS
1121:May 28,
1099:June 5,
721:May 13,
370:Appeals
351:Florida
828:People
526:People
398:Legacy
246:parole
124:Murder
238:Death
112:, by
1247:2016
1149:2022
1123:2013
1101:2016
1068:2016
1039:2016
1010:2016
981:2016
953:2016
924:2016
895:2016
868:2016
840:2016
810:2016
784:2018
723:2020
694:2016
666:2016
638:2016
613:2016
587:2016
561:2016
539:2021
533:(24)
499:2007
182:Born
132:and
77:Died
51:Born
1289:at
579:CNN
349:in
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