Male teacher and ‘husband’ accused of sexual contact with gay teens found dead

Documents death of Matthew Deyo (another post documents Aric Babbitt death)

9-16-16 Minnesota:

A homosexual elementary school teacher, who was "married" to another man, killed himself and his "husband" in an apparent murder-suicide after the two were allegedly caught having inappropriate contact with students, according to Dakota County court documents.

Forty-year-old Aric Babbitt and 36-year-old Matthew Deyo were under investigation for regularly taking adolescent boys on overnight trips, specifically boys who identified as possibly gay, with parental approval, even though the men were openly homosexual.

According to court records, Babbitt assured parents that he was "mentoring" their children, and when questioned about inappropriate gifts he gave them, such as underwear and skimpy yoga shorts, Babbitt told the parents that they wouldn't understand because "It's a gay thing."

Male teacher and ‘husband’ accused of sexual contact with gay teens found dead

Documents death of Aric Babbitt (another post documents Matthew Deyo death)

9-16-16 Minnesota:

A homosexual elementary school teacher, who was "married" to another man, killed himself and his "husband" in an apparent murder-suicide after the two were allegedly caught having inappropriate contact with students, according to Dakota County court documents.

Forty-year-old Aric Babbitt and 36-year-old Matthew Deyo were under investigation for regularly taking adolescent boys on overnight trips, specifically boys who identified as possibly gay, with parental approval, even though the men were openly homosexual.

According to court records, Babbitt assured parents that he was "mentoring" their children, and when questioned about inappropriate gifts he gave them, such as underwear and skimpy yoga shorts, Babbitt told the parents that they wouldn't understand because "It's a gay thing."

Body Found in Vacant Paynesville Home ID'd as Fugitive

9-9-15 Minnesota:

A body found in a vacant Paynesville home Wednesday has been identified as a convicted and non-compliant sex offender wanted on several warrants.

The Ramsey County medical examiner has identified the body as 28-year-old Ryan Clover. The preliminary autopsy found that Clover died of asphyxia due to hanging, and the manner of death has been ruled suicide.

Paynesville police were called Wednesday to an unknown death on the 400 block of West Mill Street. Clover's last known address was in Isanti County. A property inspector discovered his body during a monthly inspection.

Officers checked the perimeter of the home and noticed signs of entry through a side window on the property. The officer entered the home and found the body in the stairway, police said.

Sex offender dies after taking pills

March 2009 Minnesota:

RED WING - A Red Wing sex offender charged with possessing child pornography died Wednesday of an apparent suicide.

Red Wing police Chief Tim Sletten said officers were called at 7:09 p.m. Monday to 425 22nd St., where a man was reportedly unresponsive after taking a large amount of pills.
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Officers found Bobby Varnado at the residence and he was transported to a medical facility. The 39-year-old died Wednesday at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.

"It is unfortunate any time a person takes their own life," said Assistant Goodhue County Attorney Erin Kuester. "We will focus on offering counseling and mental health services for the victims and their family members."

Ramsey Man Kills Himself 2 Days Before Child Sex Abuse Trial

4-28-15 Minnesota:

A 46-year-old Ramsey man accused of sexually abusing several children in the north Twin Cities metro killed himself Saturday, according to authorities. His trial was scheduled to begin Monday.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner said Chad Geyen died from a shotgun wound to the head by suicide early Saturday afternoon at the Elm Creek Park Reserve in Dayton.

Geyen is accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with multiple children over the course of several years. Authorities said all of the children were 13 years old or younger at the time when the offenses began.

The complaint states one case took place from November 2012 to Nov. 20, 2013. The other cases took place from 1995 to 2001.

According to the charges, Geyen met the children through his involvement with the “Big Brothers” program from about 1989 to 1993. At least one of the victims met him through the “Young Eagles Program” at the Blaine Airport as Geyen has a private pilot’s license. It’s a program for kids interested in aviation.

Crisis, mystery unfold after pedophile teacher kills himself in MN

5-13-2014 Minnesota:

He was one of the most beloved teachers in the small world of international schools that serve the children of diplomats, well-off American expatriates and local elites. He was often the first to arrive in the morning, and the last to leave each day. He led students on class trips to exotic places, treating them to cookies and milk at bedtime.

That was the public persona of William Vahey, carefully crafted over four decades until a maid cleaning his home in Nicaragua stole a 16-gigabyte memory drive. There, in photograph after photograph, was evidence that the model teacher had molested scores of adolescent boys, possibly more, in a career spanning 10 schools on four continents.

The discovery of a man the FBI regards as one of the most prolific pedophiles in memory has set off a crisis in the close-knit community of international schools, where horrified parents are being told their children may have been victims of a favorite teacher, and administrators are scurrying to close teacher-vetting loopholes revealed by Vahey's abuses.

"With the sheer volume, the sheer number of incidents in which this man molested, it surprises me that somehow this was not picked up by someone," said John Magagna, the founding director of Search Associates, the world's largest international school recruiting firm. "I don't know what went wrong."

Houston FBI leads global search for victims of predator teacher

4-22-2014 Texas, Minnesota:

FBI agents from Houston are spearheading an international probe to determine how many students at elite private schools in nine countries fell victim to a teacher who authorities contend was a serial predator for more than four decades.

The local agents went public with their investigation Tuesday, saying they may never know how many victims William James Vahey exploited during a global career that began in 1972 after he stopped registering for a molestation conviction in California.

A thumb drive holds photos that show he had at least 90 victims since 2008 alone, according to the Houston FBI agents who are leading the ongoing global probe to find his victims as well as determine the extent of his crime.

Vahey, 64, committed suicide in a Minnesota hotel room last month before he could be arrested and perhaps provide some answers.

More alleged abuse cases surface at Shattuck-St. Mary's School

10-10-2012 Minnesota:

FARIBAULT, Minn. - A day after prosecutors charged a drama teacher with sexually assaulting several boys, there are allegations two more teachers may have been involved in sexual misconduct with students at Shattuck St. Mary's School.

Fairbault Police say 34-year-old teacher Leonard Jones killed himself in 2008 after Shattuck-St. Mary's school officials confronted him about an alleged sexual relationship with an underage female foreign exchange student.

Only after the suicide did the school tell police about allegations of a sexual relationship involving a teacher and student.

"It's hard for us to do our job when instances like that don't get reported," said Captain Neal Pederson with the Faribault Police Department.

Pederson believes the outcome may have been different if police would have been contacted earlier.

"If we had been present, he would not have been allowed to go back in to his house unescorted by himself and able to shoot himself," he said.

Pederson tells KARE 11 that Jones told school officials he had to get his jacket from his home. He then apparently walked back into his house where he shot himself.

Shattuck-St. Mary's officials claim they did everything they could.

"After assessing the allegation, school officials immediately put in place a plan to remove this individual from the school so that an investigation could be conducted and appropriate notifications made. The suicide occurred that evening while that plan was being carried out," said Shattuck spokesperson Jon Austin in an email.

Austin added that the school notified parents and students after the incident.

That said, police believe they could have done more.

"They had ample time to call us and notify us to be there," said Pederson.

Also Tuesday, another apparent victim came forward claiming to have been sexually assaulted by a third former Shattuck staffer back in the 1980's.

Police interviewed that person Tuesday and say they are investigating.

Shattuck-St. Mary's insists it was unaware of the allegations.

"But we encourage anyone who believes they may have information regarding such matters, from any period of time, to come forward," said Austin.

"It suggests that there may be real confusion at the school at best," said attorney Gregg Meyers about what the school believes it should report.

Meyers says his law firm, Jeff Anderson and Associates, has been in contact with the most recent alleged victim as well as three other apparent victims of former Shattuck St. Mary's drama teacher Lynn Seibel.

Seibel is accused of sexually molesting at least six students from 1996 to 2003 during so-called "group sessions" where he showed pornography, taught male students how to masturbate and measured their genitals. He was only fired after school officials found child porn on his computer in 2003.

While school officials say they reported the allegations involving Seibel to police, which is mandated by law, police claim they were not notified.

Meyers believes it raises serious questions about whether the school was more worried about its reputation than the safety of its students, something the school denies.

"Instead of acting in the manner that protects children they react in the protective manner to try to keep it quiet," said Meyers.

Pederson said it is too early to know if charges could be filed against any Shattuck-St. Mary's school officials for not reporting past misconduct allegations, but he added police are looking into it. ..Source.. by Jay Olstad

Body of missing U student found in boxcar

1-27-2011 Minnesota:

The body of Keaton Murphy was found in industrial area behind TCF Bank Stadium.

The body of a missing University of Minnesota student was discovered Thursday in a boxcar in an industrial area near TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, police said.

Keaton Murphy, 20, disappeared last week shortly after being released from jail, where he had been taken on suspicion of distributing child pornography.

Murphy was last seen leaving the Hennepin County jail about 7:15 p.m. on Jan. 20. According to jail records, he was released that night pending the filing of a formal complaint. His parents told police they were concerned he might be depressed and suicidal.

University Police Chief Greg Hestness said on Thursday that Murphy's clothing and identification were on the body. He said the cause of death still was under investigation, but he did not believe it was a homicide. A rail worker discovered the body shortly after 10:30 a.m. Thursday, he said.

A woman who answered the phone at Murphy's Iowa residence said the family had been notified of the body's discovery. She criticized news coverage of the disappearance, saying if it were not for some stories, "this probably wouldn't have happened."

She did not elaborate.

Last weekend, U police put out a missing person release seeking information about Murphy's whereabouts. Although that release made no mention of him being a suspect in a child porn case, an alert issued on the department's behalf by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension did take note of the case, as well as the possibility of felony charges. The BCA alert was quoted by news outlets.

According to his hometown newspaper in Storm Lake, Iowa, Murphy was an Eagle Scout who excelled in academics and arts at Storm Lake High School.

In a statement, James A. Parente Jr., dean of the U's College of Liberal Arts, said: "We're deeply saddened to learn of Keaton's death. Anytime we lose a student, it is a tragedy for our community. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his parents, family and friends." ..Source.. by ANTHONY LONETREE, Star Tribune

Molestation suspect dies during an apparent suicide attempt

8-17-2010 Minnesota:

SOMERSET TOWNSHIP — An Austin man who was facing criminal sex charges in Mower County died in rural Steele County over the weekend after a botched suicide attempt when he fell out of the tree from which he was trying to hang himself.

The body of James Carle Spencer, 37, was discovered by Steele County Sheriff’s deputies beneath a tree in a field in the Somerset Township on Saturday, according to Steele County Sheriff Don Gudmundson. A local farmer alerted the sheriff’s office to the area when he discovered an empty car sitting in the field, Gudmundson said.

When deputies searched the area, they found Spencer’s body. Gudmundson said that it appeared that Spencer had climbed the tree using deer spikes and had attached a rope to a branch in the tree, apparently in order to hang himself. But before he could put the rope around his neck, it appeared that a branch broke and Spencer fell to the ground where he died, Gudmundson said. Deputies discovered the rope still hanging in the tree, the sheriff said.

“Someone was clearly attempting suicide,” Gudmundson said.

Charged with six counts of criminal sexual conduct, Spencer was scheduled to go on trial next week in Mower.

“We anticipated it going to trial,” Jeremy Clinefelter, the assistant county attorney for Mower County and prosecutor for the case, said Monday, adding that the county already had purchased plane tickets to bring the victim back to Minnesota.

Spencer was arrested in February after the victim — a 14-year-old girl — reported that over the course of the previous year he had touched her inappropriately, eventually leading to 10 instances of intercourse, according to the criminal complaint. In total, between 70 and 90 “touching instances” occurred in both Austin and Brownsdale, the complaint said.

The girl’s aunt reported the incidents in February after Spencer told both her and his mother that he had molested the girl, the complaint said. Spencer also ended up at the Austin Medical Center at about this same time after he attempted suicide, the complaint says. He told the aunt and his mother that the molestation was the reason for his suicide attempt.

He was crying and embarrassed and said he was going to be ‘put away,’ the complaint says.

Law enforcement officials in Mower County had been looking for Spencer since Wednesday when Spencer’s wife alerted police that her husband was missing and perhaps suicidal, Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi said Monday.

Gudmundson said it was unclear when Spencer fell to his death, though he said Spencer’s body showed signs of “pretty serious decomposition.” He speculated that the death could have occurred as early as Wednesday.

Nor could Gudmundson say what was the exact cause of death, adding that no alcohol, pills or pill bottles were found at the scene. The only clearly identifiable injury to Spencer was a broken arm, Gudmundson said.

The Steele County coroner, who will make the determination of the cause of death, met with the sheriff’s office on Monday. But Gudmundson said Monday afternoon that there was nothing remarkable in the autopsy. The toxicology report won’t be ready for about two weeks and problems with the decomposition of the body made the autopsy difficult, he said. As of now, the death is being classified only as an “unwitnessed death, Gudmundson said, “the classification used in this type of incident until we know more.”

“This is an odd type of case,” Gudmundson said. ..Source.. by JEFFREY JACKSON, Owatonna People’s Press

Dakota Co. Officials: Investigate Apparent Inmate Suicide

7-16-2010 Minnesota:

A man accused of sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriends 12-year-old daughter has apparently committed suicide in a Dakota County Jail.

Dakota County Officials are investigating the apparent hanging of 42-year-old Raymond Ernest Cesmat.

Cesmat was booked for 1st Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct with a person under 12 years of age.

Dakota County Sheriff Dave Bellows says Cesmat was discovered by a correctional officer during rounds Friday afternoon. ..Source.. by KAAL TV.com

Man who died after Mall of America fall suspected of rape

3-26-2010 Minnesota:

The man who suffered a fatal fall Wednesday at Mall of America faced a third-degree rape charge, according to news reports.

The man was identified Thursday as Dakota Rey Kohler-Lander, 21, of Schenectady, N.Y.

Kohler-Lander was scheduled to be arraigned on the rape charge in New York State on Wednesday, but missed his court date, KSTP-News reported. He had been arrested in October on suspicion of having sex with a 16-year-old girl, the station said.

Bloomington police said Thursday that Kohler-Lander appeared to have been in town visiting someone.

About 7 p.m. Wednesday, security officers responded to a report by mall visitors that Kohler-Lander had a knife, police said. As security approached, he climbed a fourth-floor railing and either jumped or fell to the rotunda bellow.

Police said there were several witnesses to the incident.

Kohler-Lander died shortly after at the Hennepin County Medical center, police said.

The manner of his death is still under investigation. ..Source.. by Pioneer Press


Man who fell at Mall of America faced rape charge

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- A man who fell to his death in the Mall of America Rotunda was scheduled to face a rape charge in a New York court on the day of his death.

Authorities say 21-year-old Dakota Rey Kohler-Lander of Schenectady, N.Y., was on the fourth floor of the Mall of America Wednesday with a knife. When officers approached him, he climbed over a railing and fell to the ground floor. He died of blunt force injuries.

The Star Tribune reports Kohler-Lander was arrested last October and charged with rape for allegedly having consensual sex with a 16-year-old girl. Officials say he was indicted by an Albany County grand jury last week and was scheduled to appear in court, but didn't show.

Local news reports also say Kohler-Lander's twin 17-year-old brothers died in an all terrain vehicle crash in June.

Mall officials say officers attempted to perform CPR on Kohler-Lander. Officials say he was breathing and had a faint pulse when paramedics took him to HCMC. He died there a short time later.

Bloomington police say the Mall of America may have to look into taking greater security measures.

Officer Mike Stehlik says that the Hennepin County Medical Examiner is still trying to determine whether or not the fall of Kohler-Lander was intentional, or forced by another individual. Stehlik says despite steady traffic at the mall, there are surprisingly very few witnesses in this incident. ..Source.. by KARE11.com

Jail inmate commits suicide

2-8-2010 Minnesota:

UPDATE: Despite life-saving efforts by jail staff, ambulance personnel, medical staff at Fairview Medical Center and North Memorial Hospital, Walter Alan Wildhirt died on on Saturday, Feb. 6 at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale.

Correctional officers found convicted sex offender Walter Allen Wildhirt, 32, had attempted suicide in the Mille Lacs County Jail on Thursday, Feb. 4. He was scheduled to be sentenced on Friday.

According to Mille Lacs County Sheriff Brent Lindgren, a well-being check was conducted at approximately 5:20 a.m. when they found Wildhirt out of his bed.

Wildhirt attempted suicide using the bed sheet, which he attached to a sprinkler head grate on the wall. He wrapped the sheet around his neck.

Twenty-five minutes prior to that, a well-being check found Wildhirt in bed under the covers.

Correctional officers performed life-saving measures on Wildhirt, including CPR, assisted breathing, and the use of an AED (automated external defibrillator).

North Memorial Ambulance transported Wildhirt to Fairview Northland Medical Center in Princeton. Lindgren reported that Wildhirt had a pulse when the ambulance transported him.

Wildhirt was then transported to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale.

He was in jail for a recent conviction of first and second degree criminal sexual conduct and was to be sentenced on Friday, Feb. 5. He is facing a maximum of 30 years in prison.

Wildhirt has been in custody since Sept. 15, 2009 on $300,000 bail. Carlton County also has an additional hold on Wildhirt.

He has two prior sexual assault convictions and multiple felonies, including burglaries, theft, dishonored checks and fourth degree criminal sexual conduct.

The sheriff praised his staff. “They did their job and that’s why they do those well-being checks,” Lindgren said. "Hopefully we got to this individual in time.

We may or may not have been successful in this case, we’ll have to wait and see.”

The BCA will assist with an inquiry into Wildhirt’s suicide attempt to ensure there is no appearance of conflict of interest. ..Source.. by Dawn Slade

MN- Sex offender dies after taking pills

3-19-2009 Minnesota:

A Red Wing sex offender charged with possessing child pornography died Wednesday of an apparent suicide.

Red Wing police Chief Tim Sletten said officers were called at 7:09 p.m. Monday to 425 22nd St., where a man was reportedly unresponsive after taking a large amount of pills.

Officers found Bobby Varnado at the residence and he was transported to a medical facility. The 39-year-old died Wednesday at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.

“It is unfortunate any time a person takes their own life,” said Assistant Goodhue County Attorney Erin Kuester. “We will focus on offering counseling and mental health services for the victims and their family members.”

Kuester, who prosecutes sex-related crimes for the county, said charges against Varnado will likely be dismissed.

Varnado had been charged with seven counts of using a minor in a sexual performance and four counts of possessing child pornography. Initial charges were filed in December after a multi-agency online investigation flagged Varnado’s Internet use for allegedly distributing child porn.

Charges intensified this month when investigators discovered evidence he had created several images of child porn using children known to him, a criminal complaint states.

He had been arrested most recently on March 11, then released later that day on $30,000 bail.

If convicted of the most serious charges, Varnado faced a maximum 70 years in prison.

The lesser charges each carried a maximum penalty of three years behind bars.

He had been convicted in 1995 of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and spent a year in jail for the offense.

Varnado had not yet entered a plea in the latest case, but was scheduled for an April 3 hearing. ..Source.. by Mike Longaecker The Republican Eagle