Questions and Answers
Spotlight on Crime is a reward fund that focuses exclusively on helping statewide law enforcement agencies solve violent crimes in Minnesota. It is a unique public-private partnership between Minnesota's business community and the state's crime fighters.
BACKGROUND ON THE MOST RECENTLY SELECTED CASES
Which new case has been selected?
 Terrell Mayes (Minneapolis) — Terrell Mayes, 3, was shot and killed around 6:45 p.m. on Monday, December 26, 2011 in his home at 2644 Colfax Ave. N. in Minneapolis. Terrell lived with his mother and three brothers and they had a practiced plan in place for when they heard gunfire in the neighborhood. That evening they heard gunshots. The family was running up the stairs to a bedroom closet when a bullet came through the north side of the house, striking Terrell in the head. He later died at North Memorial Hospital.
The Minneapolis Police Department Homicide Unit was unable to locate any witnesses to provide a description of the suspect. Shell casings found across the street indicated the suspect was shooting in a southbound direction from an alley.
Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at (877) 996‑6222 or bca.tips@state.mn.us.
PREVIOUSLY SELECTED CASES
What other cases have received Spotlight on Crime reward funds?
Since June 2001, more than $1.4 million has been offered in 25 cases (including the case recently announced). Additional information on each case can be found at www.spotlightoncrime.org.
 Officer Tom Decker (Cold Spring) — Officer Tom Decker, 31, was shot and killed just before 11 p.m. on Thursday, November 29 behind Winner’s Bar on Main Street in Cold Spring as Decker conducted a welfare check at a nearby apartment. Officer Decker died at the scene. Investigators with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office believe Officer Decker was killed with a 20 gauge shotgun. However, despite an extensive investigation and search, authorities have not identified Decker’s killer or recovered the murder weapon. Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at (877) 782‑5683 or the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at (877) 996-6222 or bca.tips@state.mn.us.
 Harold Schroetter (Falcon Heights/St. Anthony) ‑ Harold Schroetter, 57, was last seen at his Falcon Heights home early in the morning of Feb. 26, 2009. He was reported missing on the afternoon of Feb. 27 by his live-in girlfriend. Schroetter reportedly left to visit the Mille Lacs Grand Casino and did not return. He was also in the process of ending his relationship with his girlfriend at the time of his disappearance. Authorities located Schroetter’s red Chrysler under suspicious circumstances in the area of Arlington Ave. and Jackson St. in St. Paul on Mar. 1, 2009. Authorities have been unable to locate Schroetter or a body, and believe that foul play was involved in his disappearance. Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact the St. Anthony Police Department at (612) 782‑3350 or the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s Cold Case Unit at (651) 793‑7000 or (877) 996‑6222.
 Rachel Anthony (Pine River) - Rachel Anthony, 50, disappeared around 10 p.m. Feb. 27, 2001, at the end of her shift at Ultimate Liquors in Pine River. The weather was very cold that day, and Anthony had started her car to warm it up before her drive home. A police officer discovered the car still idling about 1 a.m. Upon checking the liquor store, he found the back door unlocked with Anthony's purse and coat still inside, but no signs of Anthony. Her body was found six weeks later in a ravine near Breezy Point, about 15 miles away.
 Cynthia Haisley (Rochester) - Cynthia Haisley, 43, a mother of two and native of Missouri, was found beaten to death under a bridge in northwest Rochester on Oct. 3, 1998. Haisley, who was homeless, had been living under the bridge, possibly with several other people. She had also frequented the Dorothy Day Center and the Salvation Army in Rochester. Law enforcement officials believe there are witnesses that have information that could assist in solving this case.
 Ada Senenfelder (Winona) - Senenfelder, 40, mother of five, was found stabbed to death in the bedroom of her Winona, Minnesota, home on June 6, 1985. No evidence of robbery or sexual assault was present. However, the physical evidence from this case is being re-examined with today’s modern forensic methods, and the results are breathing fresh life into this old case. Anyone with information should contact the Winona Police Department at (507) 454‑4087. CASE SOLVED
 Frank Kastelic (St. Paul) - Kastelic, 52, an elementary school teacher and part-time U.S. Customs inspector, was found outside his car with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. According to investigators, at approximately 6 a.m., Kastelic’s car was bumped at the intersection of Stillwater Road and Algonquin Street in St. Paul. He was shot when he got out of this car to speak with the person who had bumped him. A witness described the vehicle that struck Kastelic’s as orange-colored, possibly a 1973 Chevrolet Laguna. Witnesses described a man, approximately 20 to 25 years old, with a stocky build, long black hair, and facial features that indicate he may be a Native American.
 Barbara Paciotti (Hibbing) - Barbara Paciotti, 20, was last seen with her boyfriend, Jeff Dolinich, in the early morning hours of June 14, 1969 in Hibbing. She had been out with a friend during the evening of June 13. She and her friend were driving downtown at about 1:45 a.m., and the two stopped in traffic to speak to another friend when Dolinich approached the car and asked Paciotti if she would come with him so he could speak with her. The two were seen leaving in a 1964 green Oldsmobile; it was the last she was seen alive. On June 14, Dolinich was questioned by police, and he said he had been out drinking on June 13. He acknowledged leaving Hibbing with Barbara, that the two had argued, he struck her and he thought she was dead. Dolinich said he awoke the morning of June 14 in Mora, Minnesota with no memory of where Paciotti was. His pants and shoes were covered in grass and mud.
 James Sackett (St. Paul) - On May 22, 1970, Sackett, 27, was shot and killed by a sniper while responding to a fake maternity call for help at a home in the 800 block of Hague Avenue, near Selby Avenue and Victoria Street in St. Paul. Investigators believe that Sackett, who had served on the force just 18 months, was not specifically targeted. Sackett was married and the father of four children, the youngest just three weeks old when he was killed. The evening he was shot was his first shift since the birth of his youngest child. In 2006, Ronald Reed and Larry Clark were convicted of first degree murder in the killing of James Sackett. Both Clark and Reed received life sentences. CASE SOLVED
 Helen Mary Dahl (Minneapolis) - Dahl, 79, was found murdered in the basement of her Minneapolis apartment building on February 11, 1994. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted. Anyone with information should contact the Minneapolis Police Dept. Homicide Unit at (612) 673‑2941 or the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Cold Case Unit at (651) 793‑7000.
 Jeffrey Hammill (Wright County) - Hammill, 21, was last seen leaving a gathering in Montrose around 2:00 a.m. on August 11, 1979. The evening before he was at a bar in Rockford. It is believed he was picked up while walking home to Buffalo, eventually ending up at the gathering in Montrose. Anyone with information should contact the Wright County Sheriff’s Office at (763) 682‑1162 or the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Cold Case Unit at (651) 793‑7000. CASE SOLVED
 Erika Dalquist (Brainerd) - Dalquist, 21, was last seen with friends at Tropical Nites Bar in Brainerd on October 30, 2002. She was seen leaving with an adult male at around 1 a.m. Although police have received a confession for the murder, they have yet to recover Dalquist's body. Anyone with information should contact the Brainerd Police Department (218) 829‑2805 or the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department (218) 829‑4749. CASE SOLVED
 Cindy Joy Elias (Virginia) - Elias, 19, was found murdered on the morning of March 24, 1977 off a logging road approximately eight miles north of Aurora, Minn. She died as a result of multi-traumatic injuries to the head. Elias was last seen at about 12:30 a.m. on March 24, 1977, in Virginia, Minn. A witness stated Elias was looking for a ride home and that she was going to hitchhike. Police believe the perpetrator or perpetrators are local people who were familiar with the area where the victim was found. Anyone with information should contact the St. Louis County Sheriff's office at (218) 749‑6010.
 Mary and Susan Reker (St. Cloud) - Sisters, Mary (15) and Susan (12) Reker, left their St., Cloud home at 11:30 a.m. on September 2, 1974 (Labor Day), to walk to a local store. They were last seen at the store at 1:30 p.m. and never returned home. Their bodies were recovered 26 days later in a local quarry, popular for swimming, three miles outside of St. Cloud. Both had been stabbed multiple times. Police have reason to believe the killer or killers may be from the local area. Anyone with information should contact the Stearns County Sheriff's office at (320) 251‑4240.
 Sheri Thielen (Minneapolis) - Two unidentified black males shot Theilen, a 40-year old single mother, through a window on the backside of her Minneapolis home on February 9, 1999. She later died that May. Police believe she was a victim of mistaken identity. Anyone with information should contact the Minneapolis Police Dept. at (612) 673-2941.
 Laurie Ann Feiner (Oakdale) - Feiner, 29 at the time of her disappearance, was last seen around 1 a.m. on May 9, 1992 outside of Chuck's Bar, located on Payne Avenue in St. Paul. Witnesses saw Feiner speaking with a man with whom she had been dancing inside the bar. She has not been heard from or seen since. Anyone with information should contact the Oakdale Police Department at (651) 738‑1022.
 Julie Ann Holmquist (Hallock) - Holmquist, 16, was reported missing by her parents on July 29, 1998 when she didn't return from rollerblading on a local rural road near her Kittson County (NW Minn.) home. Her body was discovered three weeks later in a gravel pit north of Lancaster, Minn., about 15 miles from where she is believed to have been abducted. Because the gravel pit was historically a popular local party spot, authorities believe that the perpetrator is a local person or someone with local knowledge. CASE SOLVED
 Joseph "Scriver" Olson (Belgrade) - Olson, 75, was found dead in his rural Kandiyohi County home on February 18, 1983. He was beaten and stabbed to death. Burglary has been mentioned as a possible motive. After his death the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Department received an anonymous letter describing a brown pick-up truck with signage on the side parked at Olson's house the week of the murder. Anyone with information should contact the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's office at (320) 214‑6700.
 Susan Swedell (Lake Elmo) - Swedell, 19 at the time of her disappearance, was last seen on January 19, 1988 at a gas station about a mile from her home in Lake Elmo. Employed by K-Mart in Oak Park Heights, Swedell had frequently received phone calls at work from a man she referred to as "Dale." On the night of her disappearance, a snowy evening, she called her mom from K-Mart to let her know she planned on coming home to watch a movie. Before she left work Susan changed into a short skirt, which seemed odd because of the blizzard-like conditions. A short time later she asked a gas station attendant if she could leave her car at the station because she was having car trouble. She then got into another car with a man that was waiting for her. Witnesses described him as unshaven, tall with shoulder length curly hair, well built and wearing a leather jacket. She has not been heard from or seen since. Anyone with information should contact the Washington County Sheriff's office at (651) 439‑7800.
 Anita Carlson (Bemidji) - Carlson, 22, was a student at Bemidji State University. She was working the late shift at a local gas station/convenience store on the evening of June 30, 1987. Customers last saw her there just after 11 p.m. The next day, the morning manager discovered the store in disarray and Carlson's car still parked behind the store. On July 5, her body was found in a wooded area outside Bemidji. Anyone with information should contact the Northern Division of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension toll-free, 24 hours a day, at 1 (888) 234‑3692.
 Kevin Brewer (Minneapolis) - Brewer, 11, was murdered just after 10 p.m. on August 3, 2000 near Cottage Park in North Minneapolis. Brewer, who was shot three times, was with a friend when they stopped to watch a fight among men who were gambling near Cottage Park. Approximately 100 people were present when the incident occurred, however past rewards have not yielded a break in the case. Anyone with information should contact the Minneapolis Police Department at (612) 673‑3786.
 Baby Boy Marshall (Marshall) - A Caucasian male infant, nicknamed Baby Boy Marshall, was delivered alive on April 8, 2001 by his mother in the women's restroom at the Hy-Vee store in Marshall. The mother abandoned the newborn, then walked 150 feet past the bakery and deli and out of the store. The baby was found dead in the restroom at 4:30 p.m. CASE SOLVED
 Nancy Daugherty (Chisholm) - Daugherty, 38, was found murdered July 16, 1986 in the bedroom of her Chisholm, Minn. home. She had been sexually assaulted. Daugherty was a mother of two and worked as an aide in a local nursing home. She also volunteered as an Emergency Medical Technician for the Chisholm Ambulance Service and was preparing to leave that day to begin studies in the Twin Cities to become paramedic. Anyone with information should contact the Chisholm Police Department at (218) 254‑7916.
 Wesley Morrison (St. Paul) - Morrison, 78, was murdered in Saint Paul on August 6, 2000. The crime took place near the intersection of Case Avenue and Mendota Street on the city's East Side. Morrison, also known as the "Can Man sustained severe head injuries that ultimately led to his death. Witnesses have said that Morrison, a friendly man who was well known to people in his East Side neighborhood, was followed and threatened by a group of five young men prior to his death. He crossed over the other side of the street to avoid the men and continued to walk north on Forrest, then he turned west onto Case Avenue. His body was found at Case and Mendota after what witnesses said was a verbal altercation between Morrison and his killer(s). Anyone with information should contact the St. Paul Police Department at (651) 292‑3650.
 Carrie Nelson (Luverne) - Nelson, a 20-year old park employee, was murdered on May 20, 2001 at Blue Mound State Park located in Luverne, Minn. Her body was found by park management at 2:45 p.m. An autopsy determined that Nelson, a 1999 graduate of Luverne High School, died as a result of multi-traumatic injuries to the head due to assault. Authorities said that robbery was a possible motive. A greenish colored "Field Ranger" digital watch was found at the crime scene. Investigators have also been looking for two gray bank money bags carrying the logo of Minnwest Bank, both believed to have been taken from the park office at the time of Nelson's murder. In addition, investigators are seeking information on full-size white car that was seen speeding away from the park between 2:15 and 2:30 p.m. that day. Anyone with information should contact the Rock County Sheriff's Department at (507) 283‑1301.
CASE SOLVED
What is the criteria for selecting cases?
Cases to receive Spotlight on Crime funds are selected if there is sufficient reason to believe that a significant reward could help prompt a witness or someone with information on the incident to step forward and provide law enforcement with useful clues to help solve the crime.
ABOUT SPOTLIGHT ON CRIME
Why was Spotlight on Crime created?
Money is an effective tool to encourage a witness or someone with information to come forward and share the information with law enforcement officials investigating a criminal case. A substantial reward may encourage witnesses to step forward and share information. It also creates publicity around a case that can lead to new witnesses and information.
Why is Spotlight on Crime Important?
There are many heinous criminal cases in Minnesota, some involving children and senior citizens, that have remained unsolved for years. In many of these cases witnesses have been unwilling to step forward. Spotlight on Crime seeks to help solve these cases. Projects like Spotlight on Crime will provide Minnesota's criminal justice system with the tools they need to make Minnesota a safer place to live.
How are cases selected?
Each case met the criteria required for consideration of Spotlight on Crime reward funds (a specific overview of these criteria appears later in this document). The Spotlight on Crime Advisory Board periodically receives summaries of potential cases to consider. After reviewing each case, the advisory board makes its selection.
How is the amount of reward money determined for each case?
The local prosecutor and law enforcement officials representing the case make a reward request based on what they believe will attract people with information to come forward. The Spotlight on Crime Advisory Board carefully reviews each case and determines the actual reward amount based on the specific characteristics of each case.
How is the amount of money given to someone who provides law enforcement with information on a case determined?
The Spotlight on Crime Advisory Board will determine the amount of reward money paid to informants based on the value their information provides in solving the case. The designated reward amount in each case may be offered for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for committing the crime in question.
In addition to providing additional reward money, what else will Spotlight on Crime provide to these cold cases?
The Spotlight on Crime reward money will generate renewed interest in cases that previously had been cold. In addition to the reward money, there is an effort to increase the visibility of these cases through the media in hopes of reaching people who may have information to help solve the crime. Announcement materials are distributed to local, statewide and select national media.
Who is involved in the administration of Spotlight on Crime?
Spotlight on Crime partners, who each have a seat on the fund's advisory board, include the Minnesota Business Partnership, a business representative who has contributed to the fund, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota County Attorney's Association, Minnesota Sheriffs Association, Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association and victims' rights advocates. The board consists of the following people:
How much are the rewards that will be offered?
The program requires minimal overhead costs, so virtually all of the money raised will go toward offering rewards. The amount of each reward offered by Spotlight on Crime will vary depending on the criminal case in question.
What makes Spotlight on Crime unique?
The active involvement of Minnesota's business and crime fighting communities makes this program unique not only to this state, but also the nation. The concept of reward programs in Minnesota to help crime fighters solve cases is not new. However, none of these existing programs has Spotlight on Crime's long-term public-private commitment, a focus solely on violent crimes such as homicides or abductions, the level of funding and the amount of money offered as rewards. Often, after a crime has been committed in a community, local residents, businesses and organizations offer rewards. However, these types of rewards are offered on a case by case basis and have no level of consistency throughout the state.
How does the Spotlight on Crime Fund work?
There are specific criteria that govern how cases are selected and the amount of money to be offered as a reward, which is determined by the Spotlight on Crime advisory board:
Only violent crimes against innocent victims, such as homicides or abductions, will be considered. Rewards will only be offered when most accepted investigative efforts have been exhausted. The law enforcement agency and the adjoining prosecuting authority (e.g., county attorney and the county sheriff/local police department within the county) concur that reward money has the likelihood of providing resolution to a particular unsolved case. The law enforcement agency and the prosecuting authority must jointly request a reward and submit a case before the Spotlight on Crime advisory board for review. The advisory board, by a majority, would determine the amount of the reward, the amount of time the agency could offer the reward and the manner and circumstances for which the reward could be utilized. The advisory board would determine the criteria that would have to be met before payment is made.
How much funding does the program have and where does the money come from?
The goal is to create a fund of $1.5 million. Contributions come from private sources. For example, Target Corp. has committed $75,000 to the project. Other major Minnesota businesses have made contributions as well. Other donors are welcome. The active involvement of Minnesota's leading companies and contributions from foundations and individuals will help reach the funding goal.
Which companies have contributed to the Spotlight on Crime fund?
The following companies have contributed to the Spotlight on Crime fund:
Target Corporation The St. Paul Companies General Mills 3M TCF Financial Corporation US Bancorp Wells Fargo The Hubbard Foundation Deloitte & Touche Supervalu Ernst and Young, LLP Liberty Diversified Industries Marvin Lumber & Cedar Co.
How has the fund been structured?
The Spotlight on Crime Fund has been established as 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and will be administered by the Minneapolis Foundation. Donations to the fund, which may come from any individual, corporation, foundation or other source, are tax deductible.
Who do I contact if I have additional questions about how Spotlight on Crime works?
For more information on Spotlight on Crime and how it works, contact the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at (651) 793‑7000 or on the Web at www.spotlightoncrime.org.
Who do I contact if I want to make a donation to Spotlight on Crime?
Donations to the Spotlight on Crime fund are welcome. To make a donation, contact the Minneapolis Foundation at (612) 672‑3878.
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