DULUTH — A Wisconsin man has been convicted for his role in dismembering the dead body of Richard Balsimo — a St. Paul man whose remains were found in 5-gallon buckets and a tote in Lake Superior near Grand Portage in July 2021.
Wisconsin man found guilty of dismembering St. Paul man
Richard Balsimo's remains were later found in Lake Superior near Grand Portage.
February 9, 2023 at 10:15PM
Robert Thomas West, 42, of South Range, Wis., was found guilty Wednesday of interference with a dead body and being an accessory after the fact to murder. According to the Minnesota Attorney General's Office, West also faces charges in Wisconsin for disposing of the gun used to kill Balsimo, mutilating a corpse, harboring a felon and possessing a firearm.
His sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
Jacob Colt Johnson is charged with second-degree murder, and his trial is scheduled to start July 18. Another accomplice who helped dispose of the body, Tommi Hintz, pleaded guilty last summer. Her sentencing is pending.
Balsimo, who was reported missing by his family on June 20, 2021, was shot in a car, then taken to Superior, Wis., where West helped dismember the body, according to Cook County District Court documents. Hintz secured the help of a boat owner in northeastern Minnesota, and West dumped the remains into Lake Superior. West told the driver he was disposing of his grandmother's valuables and a dead dog. Divers from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension found the remains about a month after Balsimo was reported missing.
The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office ruled that Balsimo died of "homicidal violence."
Duluth-based investigative firm Applied Professional Services was retained by Balsimo's family in early July to help find the missing man. It had five investigators working "around the clock" to find Balsimo, and tips from an informant led to details about the cause of death and location of the remains, according to a news release from investigator Justin Terch.
Balsimo, who was 34, was described by his family as "an amazing man with a heart of gold … a father, son, brother, uncle, nephew and friend whose life mattered to so many."
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office prosecuted the case, at the request of Cook County Attorney Molly Hicken.
The proposal suggests removing the 20-year protection on the Superior National Forest that President Joe Biden’s administration had ordered in 2023.
