ISANTI, Minn. — An Isanti County man is charged with murder after authorities found the body of a missing woman buried on his property.
Prosecutors detail the charges in a criminal complaint against 37-year-old Richard Melvin Peterson, who is accused in the shooting death of Amanda Jo Vangrinsven. The victim was reported missing Aug. 7 after failing to come home or report for work.
The complaint states that on Aug. 5 Vangrinsven was drinking while off-duty at her place of work, the Isanti VFW, and was observed to be extremely intoxicated by her fellow employees. Witnesses say Peterson, the Vice Commander at the VFW, began spending a significant amount of time with Vangrinsven, and that the two were touching and showing affection towards each other. Surveillance video backed up those witness accounts.
Staff members were reportedly concerned about what was happening as they knew Peterson was married.
Investigators learned that another patron volunteered to drive Vangrinsven home, but that Peterson allegedly said he would. The two allegedly left the VFW about 9:20 p.m., and were seen at the Dugout Bar in East Bethel about 20 minutes later where the affectionate behavior continued. Surveillance video allegedly shows Peterson and Vangrinsven leaving the Dugout around 11:05 p.m. in the defendant's pickup truck.
Prosecutors say cell phone data shows a route of travel that took the truck to Peterson's property on 261st Ave. NW in rural Isanti, and indicates that Vangrinsven's phone was on the property until at least 11:36 p.m. The data reportedly does not show the two anywhere near a park where Peterson told detectives he dropped Vangrinsven off.
The criminal complaint says Peterson gave inconsistent accounts of what happened that night to VFW employees and law enforcement, and that eventually two search warrants executed on the defendant's property Aug. 8 and 10. During the second day of searching Peterson's property a blood hound and cadaver dog led authorities to Vangrinsven's body, which was buried on the southwestern end of the property. An examination of her body indicated she had been shot in the head.
Prosecutors say Peterson's wife told investigators he was using a tractor with a front end bucket while excavating on the south end of their property the day after Vangrinsven went missing.
Detectives were able to recover a number of firearms owned by Peterson, including two he had given to a friend the day after Vangrinsven disappeared. The friend allegedly became suspicious, and returned the two Glock 9mm handguns to Peterson's family, who in turn handed them over to authorities.
The BCA is currently conducting forensic tests on those guns, to see if either of them fired the bullet that killed Vangrinsven.
If found guilty of second degree murder Richard Melvin Peterson could receive a 40-year prison sentence.