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New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Notorious ax murderer who whacked his family released from prison early thanks to law backed by Gov. Tim Walz
An ax murderer jailed for life for hacking his parents and two younger siblings to death when he was a teen has just been released early thanks to a Minnesota law backed by Gov. Tim Walz. David Brom, now 53, was cut loose from a state prison on authorized work release on Tuesday more than a decade earlier than he was initially meant to be freed, Fox9 reported. The convicted killer, who was just 16 at the time of the infamous 1988 murders, was initially supposed to be locked up well into his 70s. Advertisement 3 David Brom, now 53, was cut loose from a state prison in Lino Lakes, Minnesota on authorized work release on Tuesday. Minnesota Department of Corrections But he became eligible for release — earlier than expected — under a Minnesota law passed in 2023 that banned life sentences without parole for juveniles. Gov. Walz, the failed Democratic vice presidential contender, backed the law and approved it after it was passed by the Dem-controlled state House and Senate. Advertisement Lawmakers with the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party said that the law was changed to comply with a Supreme Court ruling that banned sentences of life without parole for juvenile offenders, according to KTTC-TV. Brom served more than 35 years in prison after he was convicted of slashing his parents, Paulette and Bernard, sister Diane and brother Richard, to death in their Rochester home Feb. 18, 1988. All four victims were discovered with multiple ax wounds to their heads and bodies. Brom, who tried to argue he was mentally ill at the time, was ultimately found guilty by a jury. Advertisement 3 The convicted killer, who was just 16 at the time of the 1988 murders, was initially supposed to be locked up well into his 70s. Star Tribune via Getty Images Still, he and other already-convicted offenders became eligible for parole when the amended law was introduced by Minnesota lawmakers as part of a public safety spending bill. Under the changes, the law now allows for juvenile perps who are sentenced to life to be fully eligible for parole after 15 years behind bars. Brom became retroactively up for release in 2018. If the old law was still in place, he wouldn't have been eligible for parole at least 2037. Advertisement Republican state Sen. Jordan Rasmusson had tried to fight to have the law amended so juvenile offenders had to serve at least 25 years — arguing the new terms were too lenient. 3 Brom served more than 35 years in prison after he was convicted of slashing his parents, Paulette and Bernard, sister Diane and brother Richard, to death in their Rochester home Feb. 18, 1988. Star Tribune via Getty Images 'I warned of this exact scenario during the 2023 public safety debate, and it is precisely the kind of outcome I sought to prevent,' Rasmusson told the Valley News in the wake of Brom's release. 'The Democrats' soft-on-crime approach has led to dangerous early releases like this one. The release of David Brom is a profound failure of justice and a painful betrayal to the memory of his victims.' 'Brom committed one of the most horrific crimes in our state's history. Releasing him now undermines the severity of that act and the suffering it caused,' he continued. Under the terms of his release, Brom will still be under supervision and subjected to GPS monitoring at a Twin Cities halfway house. The Post reached out to Gov. Tim Walz's office but didn't hear back immediately.
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
‘It doesn't make me thrilled': What some small businesses think about annual watercraft pass
Dead zebra mussels are displayed at Riverfront Regional Park in Fridley, Minn., on July 10, 2014. (Star Tribune / Monica Herndon) Alberta waters are currently free of zebra and quagga mussels, invasive species growing across North America, and the province wants to keep it that way. The mussels can cause millions of dollars worth of damage, threaten water systems, damage environments and put recreational opportunities at risk, the province said. To fund awareness campaigns, inspections and other initiatives, the province is considering an annual pass for boats, canoes and other watercraft. Some small business owners are worried about paying more when margins are already right. 'It doesn't make me thrilled that there could be a pass per watercraft or even annually depending on the price,' said Nicole Vanderkamp with Get Fit Rentals.'It could really affect our business negatively.' The owner of the rental business says paddleboarding and kayaking are affordable options for families to get on the water and a pass could change that. Vanderkamp says she understands wanting to spread awareness about keeping zebra and quagga mussels out of provincial waters but believes a pass isn't the best way to go. 'You could register your watercraft and then get an email explaining what to look out for, things to do with your paddleboard in terms of drying out before going out for a new lake, that sort of thing,' she added. Zack Doroshenko, owner of Rural Rivers, spends hours washing his rental boats as a precaution. 'I just do it to be a responsible business owner. That's just what a lot of operators should be doing, and I've seen operators not do that,' Doroshenko said. He has many questions on how pass fees should be structured. 'For a small business, it's a very short window in which we operate from May to October depending on the weather,' Doroshenko told CTV News Edmonton. 'That's not a lot of wiggle room and margins are really tight within that time frame.' He agrees more needs to be done since he's noticed awareness is low. 'But to go from very little education to now a pass is kind of a bit extreme.' The province says the annual pass would prevent aquatic invasive species from 'wreaking havoc.' All revenue from a potential watercraft pass would be used to increase invasive species defences – people can suggest how much the pass should cost and how it could be applied. 'We're encouraged to see Alberta exploring new prevention strategies, and we urge all Albertans to take this opportunity to provide input. The actions we take now will determine the future health of our lakes and rivers,' said Alberta Invasive Species Council executive director Megan Evans. People can take the online survey and share your feedback here until Aug. 25. In addition to considering a pass, the Alberta government is spending $18 million over five years to open more watercraft inspection stations with additional staff and longer operations hours to decontaminate equipment. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Weisberg
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Dem-run city is now so rough locals have to drive around with broken car windows
Thieving vandals have turned Minnesota 's capital into a dystopian hellscape by indiscriminately smashing hundreds of car windows, leaving a trail of broken glass across the Democrat-run city. Residents in recent weeks have gone to their vehicles to find windows broken and in some cases personal items swiped. More than 70 vehicles were struck on Monday alone, the Minneapolis Police Department told the Daily Mail. A total of 90 vehicles were damaged over the weekend. More than 200 cars have been targeted overall, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune. 'It can't get any worse than this,' one observer said in a social media clip featuring rows of parked cars with their windows based in. Another resident took to Reddit to post a video of their street in the Uptown neighborhood showing dozens of cars that suffered the same fate. 'I woke up to find this on my street today,' the person wrote. 'This is very disappointing to see.' Despite the widespread destruction, no arrests have been made. 'Investigators are working diligently to collect information about the incidents and to locate and identify suspects,' the Minneapolis Police Department told the Daily Mail in a statement. Police are trying to determine if the break-ins this weekend were connected to ones from the previous weekend. Teacher Rachel Linnemann discovered her window was busted after her boyfriend told her around 6:15am on Monday, she told the Star Tribune. Her car was sitting outside her home on James Avenue home and camping equipment had been stolen. 'It looks like at least 15 cars,' she told the outlet, noting that cars on James and Lake streets and Lagoon Avenue were targeted. The attacks happened sometime between 10:30pm and 6:15am, as she had walked her dog the night before and saw that her vehicle was fine. Police also said around 25 cars were vandalized near Central Avenue the same night. Linnemann, who is on summer vacation from school, didn't have to commute to work that morning - but many in her neighborhood did. Residents were spotted sweeping up glass from the street and inside cars before leaving for work. Joel Van Horn just moved to the area west of the Uptown neighborhood a month ago and was looking forward to taking walks with his dog, he told KARE 11. 'I mean, I knew it was going to happen if I didn't get a parking garage. I didn't act fast enough, you know,' said Van Horn, who paid $350to replace a truck window. 'You just factor that into the cost of living, unfortunately.' Robin Slaman, who has been living on Lyndale Avenue for 20 years, said she has noticed an uptick in crime in the city. 'I'm not shocked, but I haven't quite seen that before,' she told KARE 11. 'Needles on everyone's property, they leave trash everywhere, and if you leave anything sitting out on your property, it will be gone like that.' She's now considering moving out of the neighborhood. 'I love my home, but how much longer do I want to live here, how much worse do I want to see it get?' she said. So far this year, nearly 4,000 vandalism crimes have taken place in the city of 425,000 residents, according to police statistics. There's also been nearly 1,200 burglaries.
Axios
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
Buckle up: More Twin Cities commute pain ahead
Daily commutes downtown could get a lot worse starting Monday. Driving our pain: MnDOT is kicking off a fresh construction and paving project on I-94 and I-394, bringing lane closures and more bottlenecks to the west end of downtown. What to expect: A "giant cone zone stretching from Dunwoody College to the University of Minnesota," as the Star Tribune put it, with overnight lane closures on eastbound I-394 between Penn Ave. and Dunwoody Blvd. through July 28. E-ZPass lanes between downtown Minneapolis and Highway 100 will close starting at the end of the month. The big picture: The work, expected to last through November, comes at the peak of a busy summer road construction season in the metro, which includes another ongoing project that has slowed traffic on 94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul for months. Highway 55, a typical alternate route for 394, will also be under construction. Plus: The combination of drivers trying to go around the construction zones and local road repair projects has jammed up side roads, including East Lake Street and Marshall Avenue, for months. Zoom out: MnDOT's summer to-do list includes roughly 180 projects aimed at shoring up the state's roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure. Other recent construction zones include the I-494 bridge over the Minnesota River and a stretch of 494 between MSP Airport and Highway 100. What they're saying: In a statement to Axios, MnDOT said it's trying to balance minimizing disruptions with completing "critical infrastructure" work during the state's "short construction season." The agency noted that it delayed the I-394 work to reduce overlap with the construction happening to the east of downtown Minneapolis. Between the lines: While it may seem like there's more construction than usual this summer, the number of projects is fairly typical, per the Star Tribune. The bottom line:"Plan ahead, work earlier or later, work from home," Tim Nelson, director of construction for MnDOT's Metro District, told the Star Tribune.
Associated Press
10-07-2025
- Associated Press
Vikings' Dallas Turner scammed for $240K in alleged bank fraud scheme under police investigation
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Dallas Turner was targeted in an alleged financial fraud scheme that cost him about $240,000, according to local authorities. Sgt. Rich Evans confirmed Thursday that the Eagan police department was actively investigating the case, working toward criminal charges with multiple suspects identified. Only about $2,500 has been recovered so far, Evans said. According to the search warrant affidavit obtained and first reported by the Minnesota Star Tribune, Turner and his attorney contacted police in April. He said he received a call in February from an individual impersonating a banker who advised him to transfer money to two different businesses in order to prevent a theft attempt, the affidavit read. Turner later suspected the call was a scam after conferring with a family member. Turner was drafted in the first round out of Alabama last year by the Vikings with the 17th overall pick. He was a backup edge rusher and had three sacks in 16 games. ___ AP NFL:
