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Duluth man pleads guilty to criminal sexual conduct with girls

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DULUTH – With freshly selected jurors waiting nearby for the start of an expected days-long trial, a Duluth man facing criminal sexual conduct charges took a last-minute plea deal instead of facing the women he abused when they were children.

Clint Franklin Massie, 49, pleaded guilty Wednesday morning at the St. Louis County Courthouse to the four counts from incidents dating back to 2008-09 when two of his victims were young girls. The deal dismissed one of the counts against him. His sentencing is scheduled for March 20, and he could end up with more than nine years in prison. Massie, who was initially charged in February 2023 and has been out on $300,000 bail, was released until his sentencing.

In each case, the victim was known to Massie — whether they were related or through their shared membership at Old Apostolic Lutheran Church. He was friends with their parents and regarded as a fun, child-free uncle, according to reports from the investigation.

Assistant St. Louis County Attorney Michael Ryan told the court that the victims were satisfied with the deal.

“They have been involved in talking this through,” he said to Judge Dale Harris.

After Massie pleaded guilty, would-be witnesses and their supporters filed into the courtroom filling rows. Massie, dressed in a dark suit coat and khaki pants, turned to look. Ryan questioned him on the victims’ accusations — four specific scenarios where he had touched girls: during a sleepover at his house, when alone on a tractor, or beneath a blanket while others were in the room.

Massie said in court there were a lot of big gatherings and shared meals within this the group. It wasn’t unusual for one of the many children to sit on his lap.

At times Massie paused and said he couldn’t remember exact details or motives. At other times he deferred to what he told investigating officers last year. In each instance he ultimately agreed with the scenario presented by the prosecution.



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How a contaminated piece of plastic shut down DNA analysis at the Hennepin County crime lab

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It was technically a successful scientific discovery when analysts at the Hennepin County forensic science lab recognized there was a contaminant somewhere in its DNA process. That did not lessen the sense of dread.

Allison King, the DNA supervisor and technical leader, summed up the general feeling inside the lab when the problem was discovered: “Oh God, no.”

It would take a herculean effort by lab scientists to identify a square piece of plastic that is used routinely in DNA analysis around the world as the source of contamination. Then they had to reanalyze 50,000 DNA profiles to identify a handful of cases which may have been impacted, and take corrective actions to get back up-and-running last week. The shut down of the DNA section of the crime lab lasted 79 days.

The lab is a compact, labyrinthian facility in the shadow of U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. It works with dozens of law enforcement agencies throughout Hennepin County with the exception of the Minneapolis Police Department, which has its own forensics division. The lab examines and analyzes crime scene evidence like finger prints, firearms, ballistics and DNA — either through evidence collected by its own crime scene investigators or through evidence that is delivered by law enforcement agencies.

The piece of plastic that caused the contamination is called a plate, but it’s more like a brick.

Hennepin County forensic science supervisor and DNA technical leader Allison King handles a sample of the kind of plate formerly used by the crime lab, which was found to be contaminated. (Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

It’s square with 96 holes in the shape of tiny pipettes where DNA swabs are inserted for testing. The swabs are like long Q-tips, similar to what’s used to test for COVID-19, only these are used to match genetic profiles from evidence like blood droplets near a broken window or residue left on steering wheels from car thefts. King estimated her office processes about 10,000 DNA samples per year.

That means they need a lot of the plastic bricks. They are shipped to the lab in boxes of 10.

When the lab runs a test there are samples from multiple crime scenes.



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Owner of ‘deplorable’ Duluth-area mobile home park pleads guilty

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DULUTH – The owner of a Hermantown, Minn., mobile home park where residents often live without water pleaded guilty to several violations Monday in St. Louis County Court.

Steven Schneeberger of Twin Cities-based Elevated Management was charged with six misdemeanor counts related to the operation of Maple Field mobile home park. Those include unpermitted work and failure to provide potable water, safe living structures related to fire hazards and exits, and adequate storm shelter. Judge Jessica Fralich will sentence him Jan. 2.

The city filed a complaint earlier this year after investigating anonymous reports from residents, the bulk of whom are renters. Hermantown building official Brandon Holmes, who characterized conditions as “deplorable,” found that every single one of the 50-plus homes has at least one code violation. One unit has already been torn down, two are condemned and several others may be.

Attorneys for the city and for Schneeberger discussed a rehabilitation plan for Schneeberger to follow, along with likely probation. Schneeberger said little during the remote hearing, except admitting his guilt to each count.

Residents say they’ve made repeated requests for improvements, especially when it comes to problems that pose threats to public health and safety, like mold, severe water damage, fire hazards and broken locks and windows. But little is done, they say, and affordable alternative housing options during a regional shortage are slim.

One resident so far has been displaced when his home was condemned. Hermantown officials have said they have been working quickly to avoid displacing others, with extreme weather already here.

Schneeberger had told residents via email that they shouldn’t allow Holmes entry in order to inspect their homes, noting those who owed rent faced eviction by a potential new owner. He called Holmes an “adversary” of the residents.

The Minnesota Department of Health is also investigating the park, which Schneeberger is attempting to sell. He has owned it since 2021.



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Frey vetoes resolution urging amnesty for pro-Palestinian protesters

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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has vetoed a resolution the city council passed Thursday urging the University of Minnesota to rescind any discipline and asking prosecutors not to charge people in connection with an Oct. 21 protest at the university opposing the Israel-Hamas war.

Council members voted 7-6 to urge authorities to back off discipline and charges against the protesters, and expressed solidarity with “nonviolent campus activism opposing war and supporting Palestinian human rights.” Nine votes would be needed to override Frey’s veto.

The university disputes that the protest at Morrill Hall was nonviolent, saying protesters spray-painted security cameras, broke interior windows and barricaded exits, trapping staffers for “an extended period of time.” University police and Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies arrested 11 protesters.

In his veto letter, Frey wrote that non-violent protest is a fundamental right but the protest was “neither peaceful nor protected speech.”

“There is no First Amendment right to damage property, break windows, barricade doors, and endanger people’s safety,” he wrote. “It appears that the council has taken a position simply because it aligns with a cause they support, rather than the basic principles of law.”

The university said the protesters caused over $67,000 in damage to doorways, walls and flooring; violated multiple university polices; and caused emotional harm to employees as they piled up furniture and copy machines to prevent workers from leaving.

“Some employees initially hid under desks or in bathrooms, while many unsuccessfully looked for alternative exit routes, because most exits were blocked,” U President Rebecca Cunningham wrote in a letter to Frey. “Several were afraid to leave their locked spaces for an extended period of time.”



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