A 35-year-old man has been charged with firing the gunshots that killed a Twin Cities man whose body was then dismembered and dropped into the waters of Lake Superior off the northernmost reaches of Minnesota's shoreline.
Charges: Wisconsin man shot his friend before body was dismembered, dropped into Lake Superior
Two accomplices were charged earlier with helping dispose of the body.
August 17, 2021 at 2:49PM
Jacob C. Johnson, 35, of Superior, Wis., was charged Monday in Cook County District Court with second-degree intentional murder in connection with the death of Richard A. Balsimo, 34, of St. Paul, who was reported missing by his family on June 20.
Two accomplices were charged earlier with helping Johnson get rid of Balsimo's body: Tommi L. Hintz, 30, of Duluth; and Robert T. West, 40, of South Range, Wis. All three remain jailed. Both are charged with accomplice after the fact to murder and interference with a body.
Balsimo was shot on June 19 while riding with others in a car as Johnson drove from Duluth to the Twin Cities, Monday's charges read. On June 20, the charges continued, Johnson told West what happened: He and Balsimo were arguing, Balsimo threatened others with a knife, and he shot Balsimo.
Dive teams worked for two days in mid-July before recovering the remains in the lake near Grand Portage.
The car was located a week later "burned and unidentifiable" in Douglas County, Wis., across the border from Duluth, according to the charges. West said he arranged to have the car torched, the charges read.
According to the charges against all three defendants:
Hintz told the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension that she, West and Johnson all met at West's home south of Superior, Wis., on June 20, the date Balsimo was reported missing. West arranged to hire a commercial fisherman in Grand Portage to go out on Lake Superior.
West, Hintz and the owner of the boat met in Grand Portage about 11:30 p.m. on June 22. While on the lake, the boat owner saw West drop two buckets and a large tote bag overboard.
The next day, West told Hintz that Balsimo was "chopped up" while in a camper and that Johnson had shot him, the charges quoted West as saying.
Once in jail, West confessed to brainstorming the plot to dispose of Balsimo's body. He also admitted to helping dismember him. The charges say the torso was recovered in a tote container by searchers.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
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