If you are unaware of the Lacey Kuschel case, please refer to this first blog post by clicking here: (you may have to right clink the link, and choose, "open link in new tab")
https://danyadahlin.blogspot.com/2018/02/todd-county-choosing-against.html
I have spent time asking multiple lawyers why this case is going down the way it is. Here are some answers I have received:
"Sadly, I think these types of cases in rural areas are generally not managed well because the rural prosecutors lack the level of expertise because these are not the type of cases they see and prosecute on a frequent basis. Because of this, I think rural prosecutors lean more towards accepting a plea agreement...it is less work, takes less resources, and less of the court system’s time. I’m not saying this is right, there are so many opportunities for improvement in the justice system. In my opinion, this case is being handled very poorly by Todd Co. and the judge probably realized this by the letters he/she received. One of the best ways to fight injustice like this, especially when the injustice is due to a broken system, is to be vocal and get as much media attention as possible."
"I don't know the attorneys involved, but this case would be a complex case for the state to prove. I think they have some good facts, and the defendants history of lying plays well for them as far as his believe-ability, as well as his changing stories. This might be one of the biggest cases this county attorney has ever seen. Todd County is known more for drugs, DWI's and domestics, not murder and manslaughter."
Right now the plea on the table is: one year served with a work release and 48 months "hung over his head". That means, if he violates probation (like.. somebody else is killed) THEN he would serve a longer sentence in prison. Just killing one person doesn't really deserve a harsher sentence I guess. I feel like the value of life has really been cheapened over the years. Do I believe Tyler Slagermann is remorseful? Well I sure hope so. I truly hope forgiveness can be found for all involved for the sake of this little girl, yet justice is also a key factor in a functional society. You know, maybe this WAS all an unintended accident. But when someone dies in an "unsure" manner, doesn't everyone have the right to have all of the evidence brought before a court of law?
Many people private messaged me asking about writing letters. Many people have also private messaged me their concerns about the Todd County District Attorney Chuck Rasmussen, but I didn't yet ask for permission to make those public. I am going to leave that up to each person to do on their own. I wasn't able to respond to everyone personally, but I am going to try to help you now. First, let's talk about Child Protection services in Todd County. The case worker assigned to Aspen's case does not have a degree in social work. I understand that this sometimes happens in counties and is legal, yet it seems this child's fate is a pretty big deal and perhaps someone who graduated with a degree from the College of Social Work (that is a real thing) should have a look into Aspen's fate. The next hearing on the custody matter is scheduled for March 23, at 9:00am. Child protection wants to close the file and give custody to Lacey's shooter.
If you feel moved to write a letter to the judges on behalf of Lacey Kuschel's family. There are two options for you. Doing one of each would be amazing.
Remember, you need to "CC" all the parties involved in this process. It sounds overwhelming and like work, but it took me and my husband less than a half hour to get this done.
First, Judge Benson is in charge of the custody case regarding Aspen. You should probably send THAT letter before next Friday. Lonnie and Betsy want to be able to follow through with Lacey's wishes that Aspen gets to be raised just like she was, supported in a stable home with two parents, encouraged to reach her full potential and granted the opportunity to pursue higher education and the career path of her choice. They currently fear for Aspen's safety and well being.
Judge Benson's Fax is: 320-732-2506
In the regards of the custody case, you need to send a copy of your email to the following people:
jane.gustafson@co.todd.mn.us (County Attorney)
Nathan.hibbs@co.todd.mn.us (Case Worker)
bf@littlefallslaw.com (Attorney Brigid Fitzgerald)
jody.cox@courts.state.mn.us
chriskarpanlaw@live.com
Judge Anderson is in charge of the criminal case. You have until June 4th to send that letter.
Judge Anderson's Fax is: 320-732-2506
And the only two people who need to be "cc" on that one are both attorneys (see below)
Here are two examples of letters. The FIRST letter is an example of what you would send on behalf of the custody agreement. That letter would need to be sent before next Friday, March 23rd. Basically you explain a bit about who you are, how you feel and how you think justice will be best served. You can use these letters to guide you. You email your letters to both attorney's and then you use the fax website: https://www.myfax.com/free/ to send a fax for free.
Honorable Judge Benson
Todd County Court Administration
221 -1st Ave S Suite 100
Long Prairie, MN 56347
Dear Judge Benson,
As a mother and a woman, you can imagine how much this story pulled at my heart.
Devastated. Heartbroken. Grief-Stricken. All words to describe how I felt when I first
heard about this tragedy.
Lacey Kuschel was a loving mom. Like most moms, I am sure she sacrificed for her child.
She would do anything that she needed to provide her baby with love, security and safety.
She would shield her child from any injustice or negativity in the world that may dull her
sparkle. And yet she was holding her child at the time that she was shot and killed. As a
mother, I literally cannot think of a more horrific way to go. She couldn’t protect her baby
from experiencing that.
As a representative of the justice system, your job is to interpret the law. In addition, I
would like to believe that your job is to look out for the best interest of Lacey and baby
Aspen. I choose to believe that there is a fair and just process within our court system.
I am not a judge and I am not a lawyer, but there are a few things that I do know:
-Guns don’t just shoot themselves; in fact two of the basics of firearm safety are to treat
every firearm as if it were loaded, AND always keep your finger off the trigger unless you
intend to fire the weapon.
-Handling weapons while under the influence of alcohol is never a wise decision, and is in
fact illegal in public (MN Statute 624.7142). Any responsible gun owner could tell you this.
While the shooting did not take place in public, I like to believe that an intoxicated gun
handler should be held accountable for his actions which led to fatal results.
-A person being charged with child endangerment should have to go through rigorous
investigation and adapt their lifestyle (including a stable housing arrangement) before
receiving custody of their children. The well being of this child should be THE number one
priority of all parties involved.
In conclusion, I believe it is in the interest of all parties to allow this case to be played out in
trial before granting full custody to Tyler Slagerman. Most importantly, it is the duty of the judge to
make decisions based on the interest of the victim. In this case, she is not here to fight for
herself, so we (the public) are relying on you, Judge Benson, to serve us, Lacey’s
legacy and the future of her baby girl.
Good luck and God Bless,
Katrina Brockpahler
cc
jane.gustafson@co.todd.mn.us
Nathan.hibbs@co.todd.mn.us
bf@littlefallslaw.com
jody.cox@courts.state.mn.us
chriskarpanlaw@live.com
Example Two:
Honorable Judge Anderson
Todd County Court Administration
221 -1st Ave S Suite 100
Long Prarie, MN 56347
fax: 320-732-2506
Dear Honorable Judge Anderson,
My name is Ben Dahlin. I live (tell about where you live) and I am a technology administrator for the________ public school (tell about your career). More importantly, I am a father of three children, one of them a little girl. I have been following the case of Tyler Slagerman, since Lacey Kuschel was shot last February because my wife grew up in the same town with Lacey Kuschel.
As a father, I can’t imagine if something of this magnitude happened to my daughter. I am a gun owner and hunter. It is absurd to think a skilled hunter could accidentally shoot the mother of his child in the back. It is even more absurd for that person to be granted a plea bargain.
Violence against women cannot be tolerated in our society, including Todd County. I hope you show justice to all daughters and mothers on your ruling and sentencing in the Slagerman case. The taking of a life should not be handed a light sentence. Most importantly, I hope Justice for Lacey, who won’t be here to raise her little girl or speak for herself, is served. Accepting a plea deal and a less than one year sentence served will cause a large majority of us to lose our faith in the justice system of Todd County.
Respectfully,
Benjamin Dahlin
cc
Chuck Rasmussen
toddcountyattorney@co.todd.mn.us
chuck.rasmussen@co.todd.mn.us
Chris Karpan
chriskarpanlaw@live.com
There are two letters to give you an idea. Remember, Judge Benson is in charge of the custody agreement, and Judge Anderson is in charge of the criminal sentencing. I know this post seems long, and this seems like " a lot" of work, but if you take the value of life seriously and would like your children to live in a world where accountability is practiced I think it's pretty important to get involved.
For any further questions or information on how to write letters to local newspapers, please email, the Kuschel Family at: kuscheljustice@gmail.com.
Labels: Stories of Others
