A man received a term topping 36 years Friday for the beating and shooting death of a man on the victim's Iron Range property more than 2½ years ago.
Man receives 36-year sentence for murder of victim on Iron Range property
An autopsy determined that the victim had been shot several times, beaten over much of his body and suffocated.
May 12, 2023 at 4:29PM
J Nicholas Cramer, 56, of Mora, Minn., was sentenced in St. Louis County District Court after a jury convicted him last month of second-degree intentional murder in connection with the death of Frank G. Meyer, 47, of Makinen, on Oct. 2, 2019.
With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Cramer is expected to serve about 23½ years in prison and the balance on supervised release.
In a news release, the St. Louis County Attorney's Office shared that Myer's young daughter described him during her victim impact statement as "her best friend, her everything, the best dad anyone could wish for."
According to the criminal complaint and the Sheriff's Office:
On Oct. 8, 2019, deputies were sent to Meyer's home about 14 miles southeast of Eveleth to check on his welfare and found his body in the garage. An autopsy determined that he had been shot several times, beaten over much of his body and suffocated.
Law enforcement recovered from the home two metal pipes with blood on them that appeared "to be consistent with photos of the injuries to Meyer's head and body."
Cramer had been staying on Meyer's property in a camper with his wife, 49-year-old Michelle L. Cramer. A witness told law enforcement that Meyer wanted to kick J Nicholas Cramer off his land.
The proposal suggests removing the 20-year protection on the Superior National Forest that President Joe Biden’s administration had ordered in 2023.
