FARIBAULT, Minn. — A suspended St. Olaf College student is heading home to Vermont while his criminal case on charges he was hatching a plot of violence continues.
Jail officials in Rice County confirm that 20-year-old Waylon Kurts left the facility at 8:50 a.m. Thursday.
During a hearing Wednesday morning a judge determined that Kurts, his defense team and family have satisfied terms that allowed his release from jail. The final sticking point was getting a complete list of every gun that was previously in the Kurts family home, the serial number and registered owner of each.
Most importantly, Judge Karie Anderson had ordered that a relative now holding the "eight or nine" weapons sign an affidavit pledging that they would not allow access to the guns to the defendant or any member of his family until legal proceedings in Minnesota are concluded.
Those documents were provided in court Wednesday and the court authorized Kurts' return to Vermont, but the actual release did not occur until Thursday. Other requirements of release included posting $100,000 bail, enrolling in GPS monitoring, signing an extradition waiver and agreeing to attend future court dates.
Wayon Kurts was arrested after a search of his dorm room on April 5 revealed items of concern, including empty packages for high capacity magazines and ammunition; a tactical vest and knife; a list with St. Olaf Public Safety radio frequencies and numerous notebooks with "extensive writings," among other items.
As concerning to authorities were notebooks found in Kurts' car when he was arrested in the Twin Cities on April 6. Found on the pages of those notebooks were:
- A hand-drawn map of Skoglund-Tostrud, the recreational facility on campus. The map included arrows indicating a path of travel and an exit path.
- A detailed plan to steal .308 ammunition from Walmart, including call signs, materials needed and detailed actions to avoid detection.
- Notes with instructions on creating what Kurts labeled a “shoot house,” an indoor firing range typically used to train military and law enforcement personnel in close-quarters combat.
The case has understandably generated a significant amount of concern in the St. Olaf campus community. In a message to students and staff following the court hearing Public Safety Director Derek Kruse offered assurance that college and law enforcement officials will be monitoring Kurts' whereabouts and activities.
"At today’s hearing the court set the next hearing in the case for August. The legal process takes time, and we can expect a criminal case like this to take several months, possibly well over a year, to work its way through the judicial system and reach its final conclusion," Kruse wrote. "The college will continue to monitor this case closely, provide investigators with as much information as possible, and share updates to the campus community on developments that could have an impact on faculty, staff and students."
Kurts has been suspended from St. Olaf College. He was a member of both the track and cross-country teams.
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