An adult witness agreed to speak with the BCA about what they'd seen. The contents of the bucket were not specified in the complaint. Applied Professional Services helped find the evidence that led to the discovery, company president Justin Terch told Native News Online. All we wanted was to bring Ricky home, and we had hope that he was alive, but there was no way Ricky would have been (alive) and not contacted someone, Turner said. Copyright 2023, All Rights Reserved | A third suspect faces charges in connection with the fatal shooting and dismemberment of a St. Paul man whose remains were found in Lake Superior. Investigators also spoke with the fisherman, who said he met with West on June 23. The Midwest Medical Examiners Office says 34-year-old Richard Anthony Balsimo died of homicidal violence. Robert Thomas West, 41, of Duluth, has been charged with being an accomplice after the fact to felony murder and concealment of a body in the disposal of Richard Anthony Ricky Balsimo, court records show. "We thank the BCA, Superior Police Detective Joel Markon and the other agencies involved in the final stages of the investigation to recover Mr. Balsimos remains. West first claimed he was disposing of his grandmothers valuables, the complaint filed Friday states, before changing his story to say he was tossing a dogs remains. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. / CBS Minnesota. Cuzzo made no immediate decisions, and attorneys on both sides acknowledged that as the trial progressed, the court will likely need to consider the admissibility of various testimonies. On July 15, the Balsimo family and APS detectives were present when the BCA recovered Balsimos remains from Lake Superior. He blew the whistle on Trumps Truth Social. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on Monday announced it is investigating the death of a 34-year-old man in Lake Superior near Grand Portage as a homicide and that a Duluth man has been charged in connection with the crime. Dive teams worked Thursday and Friday recovering the remains of Richard A. Balsimo, 34, of St. Paul, Court documents indicate he also described the circumstances of shooting the victim while he was waving around a knife in the car. The complaint states that on July 16, 2021, West, while held in custody in Douglas County, Wisconsin, on unrelated charges, requested to speak with law enforcement. No other details about his death were released. (Star Tribune via Getty Images). ", On June 23, the complaint said, the witness overheard a conversation about three buckets, at which point West allegedly revealed that Balsimo had been shot by the other suspect "in self-defense.". pleaded guilty last June to aiding an offender and agreed to cooperate Balsimos family and lawyers are extremely critical of law enforcement and said several authorities refused to investigate the missing persons case despite concerns of foul play. On Friday, while being held on unrelated charges in Douglas County, Wis., West confessed to helping dismember the body of Richard Anthony Balsimo and hatching a plan to get rid of the remains, a criminal complaint against West, filed in Cook County, Minn., alleges. Agents observed what appeared to be a bullet wound in the torso.. Two days later, on June 22, West allegedly asked the woman if she knew anyone with a boat, claiming that he wanted to go fishing. The man Balsimo was last seen with, according to his family, was arrested on unrelated charges June 24 in Douglas County, Wisconsin. The witness and West caravanned in separate vehicles to Grand Portage. Johnson's trial is scheduled for July 18 to Aug. 4 the height of the busy tourism season in the county of just 5,600. No one had been charged with killing Balsimo as of Thursday. in the West and Johnson prosecutions. Ya with a dead body in the back, West said, according to the complaint. The father of three, who was a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of the Chippewa in North Dakota, was never heard from again. When my brother didnt respond to anyone from the family for a couple of days, we feared that something bad had happened to him, Turner told Native News Online. West was charged in July with aiding an offender and interference with a dead body. The investigators also identified the location of Balsimos remains and shared that information with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Dismembered man: The Lake Superior shoreline is shown in a 2003 file photo taken from the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, located near the Minnesota-Canadian border. On Thursday, the fisherman met with agents from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and helped them find the area where he saw West drop the buckets. Johnson allegedly completed the dismemberment, while West helped encase the remains in concrete inside three 5-gallon buckets and a tote. West reportedly said he had some of his grandmothers valuables that he wanted to dump in the lake.. Theres a lot of speculation about what other people think in terms of violence on Mr Balsimos behalf.. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Grand Portage is an unorganized territory on northeast Minnesotas border with Ontario. When asked, the suspect allegedly said, "Please don't make me tell you what I have on me." The men reportedly covered the body with a blanket and Johnson drove the car to his daughter's birthday party in Superior before the defendants hatched a plan to dispose of the remains. Our detectives determined that Mr. Balsimo was the victim of homicidal violence, while securing evidence that identified the people responsible for his death.. This article was published more than1 year ago. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Basciano was born in 1925 in Baltimore, Maryland, where his father was a professional boxer. Court documents say West admitted that he recommended dismemberment and assisted Johnson in bringing the body to a motor home in Bennett, about 20 miles south of Superior. WebRichard Basciano. No attorney was listed in the charging documents. A warrant for Wests arrest has been issued in Cook County, Minnesota. The dismembered remains of Richard "Ricky" Balsimo, 34, of St. Paul, Minn., were found July 15 and 16, 2021, in the waters off Grand Portage. Warning: This report contains details that some may find disturbing. [4] In early 2017, he was among those found to be liable for the disaster. He said testimonies vary even on where it happened at the Palace Bar in Superior or at a Kwik Trip or Holiday gas station in Duluth and the nature of Sanigars injuries. He is also charged by Douglas County with mutilating a body, harboring or assisting a criminal, and possessing a criminal. Alleged gunman Jacob Colt Johnson, 36, of Superior, argues that he acted in self-defense by shooting Balsimo after repeatedly asking to be cleared of the knife point during a confrontation that lasted about 40 minutes. He claimed that the 35-year-old suspect had shot Balsimo and the dead mans body was chopped up inside a camper. This article about an American businessperson born in the 1920s is a stub. We have learned in recent days that our loved one Ricky has passed away. Richard Anthony Balsimo, 32, of St. Paul has been charged in Becker County District Court with felony fifth-degree controlled substance crime. Robert West, right, of Duluth, Minn., has been charged with disposing of the body of Richard Ricky Balsimo, pictured at left, in Lake Superior. Agents observed what appeared to be a bullet wound in the torso. Alleged gunman Jacob Colt Johnson, 36, of Superior, argues that he acted in self-defense by shooting Balsimo after repeatedly asking to be cleared of the knife point during a confrontation that lasted about 40 minutes. Cloud Police Investigating Fatal Shooting, Check Out This Crazy Ice Road Over Lake Superior [WATCH]. Tommi Lynn Hintz, 32, of Duluth, pleaded guilty in June to subsequent involvement in a felony murder. But Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Dan Vlieger asked Judge Michael Cuzzo to limit evidence related to self-defense claims and Balsimos character. Searchers also recovered a pair of pants. While being held in the county jail, he asked to speak with BCA investigators. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. A woman told law enforcement about being in St. Paul for a baby shower, and said she was picked up by another woman, Johnson and a man later identified as Balsimo. BCA agents recovered one tote and one five-gallon bucket from the floor of Lake Superior. APS detectives began a comprehensive investigation into his disappearance as soon as we could, Terch wrote in an email. On June 22, West asked the witness if he knew anyone with a boat because he wanted to go fishing. The man accompanying West, she said, was nervous about something in his car being discovered. APS president Terch expressed his staffs condolences to their clients. The fisherman also noted that the buckets were likely heavy, as West strained while lifting them, one at a time. The witness mentioned a friend in Grand Portage who was a commercial fisherman and owned a boat, the complaint said. She testified that she had been contacted by Johnson early on the morning of June 20 and saw the bullet holes in the front seat of the car during a trip to the Hinckley, Minnesota, casino the night of June 21. We see that you have javascript disabled. On July 15-16, Balsimos remains were found in Lake Superior near Grand Portage. Documents presented to the court show that Balsimo, Johnson and two women were traveling in a car through the Twin Cities area on June 20, 2021 when an argument broke out. The four containers containing the victims remains were eventually recovered July 15-16, 2021 with assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Jacob Colt Johnson, 35, of Superior, Wis., was charged Monday in Cook County District Court with second-degree murder with intent, not premeditated in the death of Richard Balsimo. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. He was held in Douglas County in Wisconsin. Two others Robert Thomas West, 41, of Duluth, and Tommi Lynn Hintz, 31, of Duluth have been charged in connection with Balsimos death. West, 42, of South Range, reportedly told investigators that Johnson showed up at his residence with Balsimo's body in the back seat of his Audi on June 20. Johnson currently is being held in the jail in Douglas County, Wis., on unrelated charges. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says the remains of Richard Anthony Balsimo, 34, of St. Paul, were found in Lake Superior off the shore of Grand Portage in Cook County last week. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth and a lifelong resident of the city. According to West's criminal complaint, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office learned that Balsimo was "likely murdered and dismembered on June 20 and his body later placed in 5 gallon buckets in Lake Superior outside of Grand Portage.". West said they contained the body of a dog. Dismembered man: A commercial fisherman travels near the shoreline of Lake Superior in a 1999 file photo. The criminal complaint details that Balsimo was likely murdered and dismembered on June 20, and his body later placed in five-gallon buckets into Lake Superior. West faces a maximum of more than 20 years in prison. Balsimo was last seen in St. Paul on June 20, authorities said. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Balsimo had texted the mother of his child around 2 a.m. that morning before going silent. His remains placed in a tote bag and multiple buckets -- were recovered in the lake near Grand Portage in mid-July. According to the complaint, she told him about a commercial fisherman she knew in Grand Portage. Two days later, West asked the witness if she knew anyone with a boat, according to the complaint. Please enter valid email address to continue. Published: July 19, 2021 - 12:50 PM The remains of a missing St. Paul man have been found in Lake Superior. He argued its important for a jury to hear evidence about the incident and other actions involving Balsimo because its particularly relevant to proving Johnsons sanity when he chose to shoot in self-defense. Balsimo's family was critical of law enforcement and said they did not see any significant movement on their missing person report until they hired Duluth private investigative firm Applied Professional Services, which identified the cause of death and location of Balsimo's remains. This is an active investigation, but based on what is known at this time, investigators do not believe there is an ongoing threat to public safety. According to the family, St. Paul police officers who took the missing person report seemed to shrug off his disappearance after noting that Balsimo had an active warrant. Richard Anthony Balsimo ST. PAUL A third suspect faces charges in connection with the fatal shooting and dismemberment of a St. Paul man whose remains No one should have to go through the terrible emotions and sad news that they have dealt with in recent weeks.. Now he works at Starbucks. The complaint states that a witness with information about the incident agreed to speak to the BCA. Man dismembered: Robert West, right, of Duluth, Minn., has been charged with disposing of the body of Richard Ricky Balsimo, pictured at left, in Lake Superior. Court documents show the boat owner was cooperative, saying he took West out on the water after being told he was disposing of some of his grandmothers remains and a dead dog. We see that you have javascript disabled. citing a previous incident in which Balsimo allegedly stabbed a man in the Twin Ports area. The medical examiner has identified the man as 34-year-old Richard Anthony Balsimo, of St. Paul, and it was determined his Johnsons trial date has not yet been set. Richard Anthony Balsimo 1922 1970. GRAND MARAIS The man accused of fatally shooting Richard "Ricky" Anthony Balsimo Jr. will be tried in Duluth this summer, two years after the victim's dismembered remains were pulled from Lake Superior. West corroborated a number of details from the witness statements. MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says a third person is now charged in the death of a St. Paul man, who was dismembered and dumped into Lake Superior earlier this summer. He always made sure we knew he was OK.. Police say it was actually a body. ), Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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