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Cloquet double-homicide suspect arrested

Mar 09, 2020 06:13AM ● By Editor

Cloquet police are sought Sheldon James Thompson in connection with a double homicide. |  Photo: Cloquet Police

From WDIO-TV - March 9, 2020


Authorities say they have arrested the man they consider the suspect in the double-homicide of a 27-year-old mom and her 18-month-old baby boy in Cloquet.

In a news release Sunday night, Cloquet Police said authorities located and arrested 33-year-old Sheldon James Thompson around 8:45 Sunday night.

"Since discovering the victims, law enforcement worked throughout the evening and today investigating the whereabouts of Thompson, gathering information and evidence related to the deaths," the news release said.

Authorities say the victims were discovered Saturday afternoon when a concerned citizen requested a welfare check

Authorities say the victims were discovered Saturday afternoon when a concerned citizen requested a welfare check.  Photo: WDIO-TV


Authorities say Thompson was in a wooded area off Mission Road in Perch Lake Township in Carlton County on the Fond du Lac Reservation. Authorities say no weapons were found on Thompson at the time of his arrest.

Thompson was medically treated for temperature-related issues. He was later cleared from a local hospital and booked into the Carlton County Jail on two counts of second-degree homicide.

Formal charges are pending.

Authorities say shortly after 1:00 Saturday afternoon, a concerned citizen notified law enforcement regarding fears over the well-being of a woman and her child. Officers checked the home in question but were unable to contact or see anyone inside. They then executed a search warrant at the home in the 1600 block of Locke Lane, which is when the 27-year-old woman and her baby were discovered deceased. 

Authorities say it is believed the victims and suspects had a relationship or otherwise knew each other. 

Names of the victims are being withheld pending identification and notification of next of kin. Autopsies will be performed Monday by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office in Ramsey, Minnesota.

Police say the motive is under investigation.

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa spokesperson Rita Aspinwall sent an emailed statement before the arrest Sunday night saying: "The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is cooperating with multiple jurisdictions of public safety investigating (the incident.)  

The representatives of FDL’s Reservation Business Committee (RBC), the governing body of the Band, convened on the morning of March 8th to implement plans to keep the FDL community safe, informed and united," the statement says.

Furthermore, Tribal Chairman Kevin Dupuis was quoted in the statement saying: "We live in a very close-knit community in which trauma to any one individual or group deeply affects our collective well-being. “We are doing everything in our power to ensure the safety of our people and our neighboring communities, with which FDL has strong ties.”

The Cloquet Police Department urges anyone with additional information regarding the investigation to contact their agency.

Anonymous tips can be sent by sending the message TIP CLOQUETPD, followed by your message to 888777. A link to the tip line can also be found on the Cloquet Police Department Facebook and Twitter pages.

Cloquet Police were assisted by the Fond du Lac Police, Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Investigators and Crime Scene Unit, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the Carlton County Attorney’s Office.


To read the original article and read related stories, follow this link to the WDIO-TV website.  https://www.wdio.com/duluth-minnesota-news/authorities-suspect-mother-child-deceased/5668192/?cat=10...

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