In the enigmatic case of four persons discovered shot to death in an SUV in Wisconsin, new information has come to light.
The Saint Paul Police Department declared in a statement on Monday that it will now be in charge of the investigation because authorities think the crime was committed in Minnesota.
On September 12, four people were discovered dead in a Wisconsin cornfield: Matthew Isiah Pettus, 26, Loyace Foremann III, 35, Jasmine Christine Sturm, 30, and Nitosha Lee Flug-Presley, 30. According to a preliminary examination, all of the victims had died from gunshot wounds, the Associated Press said.
“A thorough investigation into the four young adults found deceased in an abandoned vehicle in rural Wisconsin has revealed the killings occurred in Saint Paul, Minnesota,” the Saint Paul Police Department stated in a news statement.
A farmer discovered the four in a cornfield near the town of Sheridan on Sunday, September 12. The statement stated that the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department initially assumed the lead in the investigation. However, authorities concluded that the homicides occurred in Minnesota after compiling information and evidence concerning what happened before and after the bodies were found.
Saint Paul Police reported that two people were detained last week for the murders. The Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center is holding Darren McWright, who also goes by the last name Osborne, who was arrested on September 15 and is “being held on many outstanding warrants, including at least one out of Dunn County.”
Antoine D. Suggs surrendered to authorities in Arizona on September 17 after they issued a wanted notice for his arrest. According to the press release from Monday, Suggs is awaiting extradition to Minnesota.
In a statement shared with the media in response to the incident, Saint Paul Chief of Police Todd Axtell said: “I spent the weekend mourning the victims’ lives with their families, their friends, and our community members, and I feel in my soul how these senseless deaths shook our community to its core.”
The family is “searching for answers,” Axtell stated, adding. “Four young lives, full of promise, have been lost. Our family is now reduced to memories.
“I’m proud of the work our investigators have put into the case—sleepless nights, days upon days at work, going home just to tuck their kids into bed and then returning to the workplace,” Axtell said in closing. Their steadfast drive to pursue justice for these four lost lives will eventually give their loved ones the answers they so badly desire.
Melvin Carter, the mayor, also stepped out, calling the deaths “heartbreaking.”
One of the most terrible tragedies our community has ever experienced is the loss of Jasmine Christine Sturm, Loyace, Matthew, and Nitosha. Nothing could ever explain this loss, but our Saint Paul police officers will look for the solutions we need and make sure that everyone responsible for the crime faces the total weight of the law, said Carter in a statement included in the news release.
In a news conference held last week, authorities revealed that Flug-Presley was from Stillwater, Minnesota, while Pettus, Foremann III, and Jasmine Christine Sturm were all from St. Paul, Minnesota. The St. Paul Pioneer Press claims that Jasmine Christine Sturm’s brother is Pettus. Jasmine Christine Sturm was Foremann’s romantic partner.
Jasmine Christine Sturm was a mother of two children, ages 5 and 11, a fashionista who loved “all things Audrey Hepburn,” as well as “extremely involved in Minneapolis/St. Paul community action,” according to a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for their funerals.
According to GoFundMe, Pettus was “infinitely interested and always on the move.” The page noted that Matthew “was a creative and brilliant musician, teaching himself the piano and the saxophone” and that he “had lately become a new father, and he doted on that child as much as he could.”
According to a GoFundMe website created for the victim, Flug-Presley was the mother of two kids, who were 4 and 11 years old.
Following a GoFundMe website, Foremann III was also a parent. “His loss was shocking and unexpected. According to the page, his two sons’ hearts are devastated, as are the hearts of his parents, brothers, and numerous friends.
According to Dunn County Sheriff Kevin Bygd, the four visited a tavern in St. Paul on the evening of September 11 and were allegedly seen leaving with someone who was not part of their group.
On Sunday, September 12, at about 2:15 p.m. local time, a black SUV was reportedly driven off a country road in the Town of Sheridan, according to police. Later that afternoon, 50 yards into a cornfield, police recovered the car. According to investigators, the deceased probably passed away less than 24 hours before being found.
Jasmine Christine Sturm & Matthew Isaiah Pettus https://t.co/WK4OvaoeXt
— Patty Alvarado (@iluvpatty_) September 26, 2021
Bygd stated that he had no reason to believe the murderer was a local and that the cornfield “was a site these victims were brought at random.” The sheriff remarked during the press conference, “We can’t uncover any connection to this region other than just driving out of the Twin Cities randomly.
He said at the time that no motivations were known and that “everyone is a suspect at this moment.” We are considering all options and people. The Dunn County sheriff’s office did not immediately answer a request for comment from PEOPLE.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is also investigating the matter, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). As the investigation continued, officials encouraged anyone with additional information to call 651-266-5650.