5 Die in Minnesota Shooting Linked to Land Dispute
A dispute over a property line apparently led a man to shoot four members of the family next door and then kill himself, authorities said Friday.
Paul Crawford, 72, was found dead in his own yard Thursday night, and neighbors Warren Schloegl, 41; his wife, Marcella, 39; and their children Jodi, 12, and son Eric, 11, died in or near their home.
“In my 23 years as sheriff, this is the most dramatic and most senseless crime that I’ve seen,” Sheriff David Kircher said Friday. “It’s really a shame that disputes are settled this way. It’s such a waste.”
The bodies of the mother and son were found in their home; those of the father and daughter were found in their yard. Another Schloegl daughter, Nicole, 16, was not at home.
A pistol and a rifle were recovered and will be tested to see if they were used in the shootings, Kircher said.
Crawford had his property surveyed and was blaming the Schloegls for removing one of the survey stakes, he said.
Todd County Atty. Chuck Rasmussen said Crawford had spent $300 to $400 on the survey, which was useless after the survey stake was removed.
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