Two St. Cloud men indicted on murder charges in May homicide

ST. CLOUD — A Stearns County grand jury has indicted two St. Cloud men in the death of 38-year-old St. Cloud resident Michael Batsche, who was shot in the head at a southside residence in May.

The men — 42-year-old Alphonso D. Cotto and 53-year-old Paul E. Coleman — were previously charged with felony counts of aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

The grand jury indicted Cotto on three counts, including first- and second-degree murder, as well as a felony for illegally possessing a firearm. Coleman was indicted on two counts for aiding and abetting first- and second-degree murder. In Minnesota, a grand jury indictment is required for crimes carrying a life sentence.

According to court documents, police responded to gunfire just before 8 p.m. on May 24 and found Batsche lying in a pool of blood inside the back door of a home in the 1200 block of 10th Avenue S. He was taken to St. Cloud Hospital, where he died.

A video recording from the residence captured footage of both men near a detached garage and a gunshot being fired at about 7:40 p.m. Authorities found nine cartridge casings outside the home.

Batsche's girlfriend told police Cotto was angry at Batsche and had argued with him multiple times in the days before the shooting; text messages between the men show Batsche reportedly owed Cotto money for drugs and a firearm, documents state.

The investigation showed Cotto and Coleman had known each other for about a year at the time of the shooting; Coleman told police he drove Cotto to Batsche's residence on May 24 to "help Cotto and make sure Cotto was OK," documents state.

On Wednesday, a Stearns County judge set Cotto's bail at $4 million. His next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 10. In late June, a judge set Coleman's bail at $3 million. His next hearing is Aug. 12.