![]() The FBI raided a notable journalist's home. ![]() In October 2007, Erickson denied the first of several appeals in the case, saying that the jury correctly decided the case on the value of each factor for and against the death penalty, rather than “sheer numbers.” Said Erickson, “The evidence is sufficient to sustain a sentence of death.' Circuit Court of Appeals, choked up when he handed down the death sentence as decided by a jury in September 2006 and called it the most difficult day of his life. The Dru Sjodin Memorial Scholarship celebrates the life and vibrant spirit of former UND student, Dru Sjodin, by turning grief into triumph and continuing. McGee did not immediately respond to a phone message left by The Associated Press.Įrickson, who is now a judge on the 8th U.S. ”But, these post-conviction relief proceedings have uncovered credible evidence demonstrating that in the trial of this case, the truth was obscured.” Admittedly, even fewer trials are riddled with error because expert testimony is later proven to be so unreliable that had all the circumstances been known it would have been inadmissible,” Erickson wrote. New evidence demonstrates that McGee was “guessing” and his opinions were not scientifically supported by literature or any other expert who testified at the trial, Erickson said. The judge said McGee offered opinions during trial that were not in his autopsy reports, namely that semen was found during his examination of the body and that the seminal deposit had occurred within 24 to 36 hours of Sjodin’s death. “While it is beyond question that Rodriguez abducted and murdered Sjodin, the evidence now in the record has led the Court to conclude that errors were made that violate the United States Constitution such that due process demands a new penalty phase trial be held,” Erickson wrote.Įrickson referred specifically to McGee's interpretation of sexual assault evidence. He also wrote that Rodriguez's attorneys did a disservice to Rodriguez by choosing to limit a mental health evaluation of their client that could have cost him a possible insanity defense. In a 232-page ruling, Erickson wrote that Ramsey County Medical Examiner Michael McGee's testimony had been “unreliable, misleading and inaccurate” about the cause of Sjodin's death. Chase said the Department of Justice was weighing its options.Įric Montroy, Rodriguez's public defender, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment. Attorney Nick Chase issued a statement noting Rodriguez's guilty verdict remains in place. And the national sex offender public registry, intended to give the public information on the whereabouts of registered sex offenders, was renamed for Sjodin.Īcting U.S. Sjodin’s abduction and slaying prompted a dramatic shift in the way Minnesota handles sex offenders, with a drastic increase in the number that were committed indefinitely for treatment even after their prison sentences had run their course. See Privacy Policy at and California Privacy Notice at. (Forum News Service file photo) A jury sentenced Rodriguez to death in 2007 for kidnapping the 22-year-old Sjodin. You can help support the show by going to /truecrimeallthetime University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin was abducted and killed in 2003. The act committed by Rodriguez will make you upset, but even more so will his rap sheet and how he seemed to get away with similar acts time and time again throughout the years. She was a pretty young woman who was talking on her cell phone and, as most of us are when we're talking on our cell phones, she was less aware of her surroundings. Her killer Alphonso Rodriguez saw an easy target in Dru Sjodin. This was a woman who was preparing herself for life after college and was working hard to accomplish her goals. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the assault and murder of Dru Sjodin. What no one knew was that Dru encountered a vile sexual predator named Alphonso Rodriguez as she headed to her car after work. So when she went missing the evening of Nov 22, 2003, her friends and family knew it wasn't like her and they began to search for Dru. ![]() She was taking a full class load, was in a sorority, worked multiple jobs and even found time to volunteer. Dru Sjodin was a 22-year-old college student at the University of Dakota when she was murdered in 2003. ![]()
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