Bail reduced in totem pole murder case

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. -- The Minnesota totem pole carver charged with second-degree murder in the death of his wife had his bail reduced significantly Wednesday.  

Carl Muggli, age 49, now has the option to pledge the property he owned with his wife in Ray, for the equivalent value of $80,000, plus post an additional $500,000 bond, according to court documents.

Under the terms of the agreement Muggli would have to live with his sister, not leave Koochiching County without permission, pay for GPS electronic monitoring and be monitored by an agent of Arrowhead Regional Corrections.

At his first court appearance, bail was set at $1 million with no conditions, meaning that Muggli could return to his most recent home, in Stockdale, Texas, about 40 miles east of San Antonio, if he is able to make bail. LeDuc set a second level of bail at $500,000, with the condition that Muggli not leave Minnesota.

Muggli is now free to choose any of those options to post bail.

"The judge modified Mr. Muggli's bail over my objection," said Koochiching County Attorney Jeffrey Naglosky. "I argued that bail was appropriately set on June 10."

Muggli remains in Koochiching County jail with his next court appearance set for July 25, according to Koochiching County Sheriff Brian Youso.

Muggli's 61-year-old wife, Linda, died in November when he said a log the couple was carving fell on her. Muggli was arrested in Texas earlier this month.

According to the criminal complaint filed against Muggli, an Alabama woman who allegedly carried on intimate and romantic Facebook conversations with Muggli told a Koochiching County sheriff's deputy that she was on the phone with Muggli on Nov. 26, 2010, when she heard him arguing with his wife about getting a divorce.

The woman said Muggli called her back 30 minutes later and told her that an accident had happened and emergency medical technicians were working on his wife, Linda.

Muggli's wife died later that day after a totem pole she and her husband were carving was found on top of her.

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With information from the Duluth News Tribune/http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/

 

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