Casandra Current, 26
Renee Brown, 44
Wayne Huotari, 61
MN, Minneapolis
Cassandra is remembered by her aunt, Karo Adolfino:
“She was very softhearted. She’d cry over a TV commercial.”
“If we had known [about the abuse], we would have
intervened,” said Cassandra’s uncle, Bill Lamoreaux.
Renee’s family remembered her as someone happiest
when she was taking care of her garden or grilling her famous chicken.
Wayne worked for Willman Trucking for many years and
was remembered by neighbors as a kind man.
Police found a
horrifying sight when they arrived at a North Minneapolis home, finding a 62
year-old man stabbed to death in his front yard and two women stabbed to death
in the basement, Casandra, and her mother, Renee Brown, 44. The man was identified as Brown’s
stepfather, Wayne Huotari.
Nine days before the
murder, Current’s boyfriend, Bryant Jones,
31, assaulted her. The day after, Current reported to police that he had
sexually assaulted her. Jones was wanted on a warrant for the assaults at the
time of the murder. He had lived with Casandra’s family until he sexually
assaulted her.
Friends and family
reported that Jones was an extremely violent man who had assaulted Casandra
numerous times.
In 2002, an
ex-girlfriend of Jones stated that he strangled her and she served him with a
protective order.
In February 2003, he
pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary of his ex-girlfriend’s home and
violating the protection order.
Instead of being
sentenced the recommended 38 months in prison, Jones was ordered to complete
chemical dependency treatment and one year in the workhouse, according to
Hennepin County court records. Jones spent only 6 months in the workhouse.
Minneapolis police
said they had offered to take Casandra to a shelter. She declined because she
was afraid Jones would harm her family if she went to a battered women’s
shelter.
Bryant Jones was
convicted of 12 counts of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to 3
consecutive life sentences.
Source:
No comments:
Post a Comment