Shoe, DNA match in Dru Sjodin case

[GalvestonDuck]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,105246,00.html

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Law enforcement officials searching for college student Dru Sjodin revealed two new pieces of the puzzle over her disappearance — blood found in the car of the suspect in the case appears to match Sjodin's and a single shoe belonging to the 22-year-old was discovered near a river.

Grand Forks County Sheriff Dan Hill confirmed Tuesday that officials had a preliminary match linking the blood found in Alfonso Rodriguez Jr.'s maroon, four-door 2002 Mercury Sable to the DNA of Sjodin.

Hill also said that Rodriguez's car had other potential clues. Officials found a knife, described as a Jack knife with an approximately four-inch, jagged-edged blade, Hill said.

The knife was found in some kind of solution, but Hill said authorities did not know if the solution was accidentally or deliberately spilled on the knife. Hill also said that officials found a sheath in the parking lot where Rodriguez's car was located that likely matches the knife.

The other discovery was that of the shoe. Hill said a shoe was found near the Red Lake River last week and Sjodin's roommate identified it as belonging to the University of North Dakota student. Law enforcement divers were sent to the scene.

Rodriguez, a 50-year-old convicted sex offender, was charged with Sjodin's kidnapping last week. His car was discovered in the Grand Forks shopping mall parking lot where Sjodin, who worked at a Victoria's Secret in the mall, vanished Nov. 22

Sjodin, of Pequot Lakes, Minn., was last heard talking to her boyfriend on a cell phone after she left her job.

Sjodin's father said Monday he was dismayed to find that police recovered a knife from Rodriguez's car. But given his criminal past, he said he was not surprised.

"You know what? It's probably true," Allan Sjodin said. "That's his modus operandi."

The Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported in Tuesday editions that investigators used Sjodin's toothbrush for the DNA match to blood found in the car. The St. Paul Pioneer Press and Grand Forks Herald also reported the match.

A judge sealed evidence in the case after Rodriguez's arrest.

Prosecutors have said they would not object to a motion by several media groups to unseal the evidence. Rodriguez's public defender, David Dusek, planned to file his response to the motion on Tuesday, after which the judge will decide whether to make the information public.

Rodriguez was interviewed by authorities last week, but has since declined to speak with investigators. He has said through his attorney that he is innocent.

"If he is the man who did this, we hope he'll give us information that will help us find Dru," the missing woman's brother, Sven Sjodin, said Tuesday on Fox News. "But at this point, he's not saying anything."

Bail for Rodriguez has been set at $5 million, but Rodriguez said he wanted to stay in jail because of fears for his safety. He faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 4 and arraignment Feb. 6.

Rodriguez is a convicted rapist who has a history of attempted kidnapping with adult women, and has used a weapon in at least one assault. He was registered as a predatory offender, the classification for those believed to be at the highest risk of committing another sex crime.

Rodriguez was released from a Minnesota prison in May after serving 23 years for an attempted abduction in 1979. Wayne Swanson, who prosecuted Rodriguez, said Rodriguez tried to abduct a woman off the street, and stabbed her when she fought back.

Investigators said they planned to expand their search for Sjodin to areas south of Grand Forks this week.

Police Capt. Mike Kirby said searches would continue until officials have firm reason to believe Sjodin is dead.

"We are committed to this. The family is out and we will be out," Kirby said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[bfez1]

I hope they find that poor girl soon. Her parents and family need closure one way or the other.

[Lindaloo]

I agree Bonnie. My hopes are fading that she will be found alive. My feeling now is she is in that lake. That sick **you know what** should have never been out of prison.

[Guest]

Amen on that Lindaloo another reason to never let out of prison - rapists, child molesters and such ....

Patricia

[bfez1]

I agree with you both---he should never have been set free!!!

[GalvestonDuck]

Now they're saying that they hate to discourage the family, but it looks like it's now a recovery effort instead of rescue. If her shoe was found near a river, I wonder if he dumped her body there.

Makes me sad and angry that people do crap like that.

[Lindaloo]

Makes me sad and angry that people do crap like that.

Or makes you wonder how someone could actually do something like this to another human being? Makes you wonder what is ticking in their minds to take someones life like that.

[GalvestonDuck]

Or makes you wonder how someone could actually do something like this to another human being? Makes you wonder what is ticking in their minds to take someones life like that.

Yup! That's why I'm iffy about capital punishment in some cases.

Based on my emotional feelings, I don't think the scum deserves to live another day. However, if there was a way to study what makes someone like this tick, I believe the time should be taken to do so. It would be interesting to find out what drives them to prey on children, women, men, or whoever, what set them off to do it to this particular victim, and what goes through their mind before, during, and after the crime. Seems to me, in the long run, if we can recognize the warning signs BEFORE they happen, we might be able to prevent it in the future and we wouldn't have to worry about finding the body of another Dru Sjodin or Danielle VanDamme or Polly Klaas.

Of course, in this guy's case, he was already serving time for his third offense. Three strikes, you're out....he should have never been out. Sad thing is, he hadn't killed anyone before this. If they'd kept him locked up, he never would have.

[stormy]

i agree with u all. i feel so sorry for the family. i sure hope they can have some closure soon. what a creep, he should have never been allowed out.

[streetsoldier]

FYI, The Red River of the North (separates ND from MN, flowing north into Canada) is a relatively narrow, deep river...the Red Lake River flows into it from the MN side, and the confluence is at Grand Forks.

It's not as deep or wide, but there's a lot of secluded land around it which would be ideal for taking someone for nefarious purposes; wooded, even in East Grand Forks MN, and in summer many of the transient seasonal (read: Mexican) farm workers camp on its shores, as there is little rental housing available for them.

It was warm enough to dump a body, if Rodriguez did it on Thanksgiving night or into that weekend, but it may have drifted north into the Red River "main channel", depending on how far east the body was dumped.

Recovery may not be successful until spring.

[mf_dolphin]

This man should never have been let out of prison. Now maybe he'l get what he deserves. My thoughts and prayers are for Dru's family.