Two Sheriffs Don't Care to Comment

Tom Hinze

 In my last post I included the text of the email I sent both to Sheriff Ross Litman (St. Louis County, MN), and to Sheriff Kelly Lake (Carlton County, MN), asking about the strange Cloquet "arson fire" of July 6, 2012. 
Actually, the last post included the text of the FIRST email I sent to both Sheriffs, on May 22, 2015. As I didn't receive any answer whatsoever, I re-sent the same email to both individuals on the first of June.
As of June 15, I've still received no answer from either of them, and I guess I can safely assume that I won't.
I've therefore sent the following email to two Fire Reporting officials from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, namely, Mr. Scott Radke, who is listed on the DPS website as "Incident Reporting Inspector", and Mr. Richard Sellman, who is listed as "Investigator".
You may notice that the latter part of the email below is just a copy and paste of the same old email I wrote to the two Sheriffs. I'm getting a little tired of trying to put the same simple questions into new words!
I've already received an automated reply from Mr. Radke, as follows: 

Out of the Office - Returning Monday 6/22, Response maybe delayed

-Thanks Scott Radke

Hopefully, Mr. Sellman will be able to give us some information before next week, but if not, we'll just have to wait for Mr. Radke to return. 
It's damned funny that neither of the Sheriffs would know anything about this matter, though, eh? Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay let me know that the Langenbrunner murder was not a Duluth case, and so he doesn't know anything about it ... It WAS a St. Louis County case, though -- I distinctly remember Sheriff Litman giving a press conference proudly announcing the "solving" of it.
Below is the correspondence I sent earlier today to the State Fire Marshal's investigator and inspector at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety:
 Lloyd Wagner

To

scott.radke@state.mn.us richard.sellman@state.mn.us

 

To: Scott Radke, Incident Reporting Inspector, and Richard Sellman, Investigator -- Minnesota Department of Public Safety

Dear Sirs:

I am writing regarding a July 6 "arson fire" that was first reported in the local Duluth/Cloquet media on or about August 1, 2012, at the time of the arrest of Sandra Couture for having set that fire (which had not yet in over 3 weeks, been reported in any media).

Sandra Couture was accused by St. Louis County investigators of having set the fire in order to intimidate or "tamper with" an unnamed witness in the Trina Langenbrunner murder case. Joseph Couture was already in jail, having been arrested in June 2012, and accused of committing the murder back in 2000.

(A little background information about myself: I am a witness in that murder case, whose testimony relating to someone ELSE having committed the murder has been repeatedly ignored by investigators. I firmly believe that the Coutures were "framed" by manufactured evidence that ALSO never made its way into a courtroom -- as the Coutures both suddenly "confessed", and no trial ever took place. For that reason I've started a blog to relate my testimony that I have not been able to get into a courtroom. I'll link the blog below.)

Both Sandra and Joseph Couture eventually confessed to this July 6, 2012 "Cloquet arson fire". Sandra confessed to having set it, and Joseph confessed to having told Sandra to set it. Both were convicted of "witness tampering" and received lengthy prison sentences in connection with this "arson fire".

Several things about the handling of the reporting of this "arson fire" have raised questions in my mind. I have already written to Mr. Kevin Shroeder, Fire Chief of the Cloquet Area Fire District, who confirmed to me what I already suspected: no fire took place on that date in the CAFD, at all.

I've also written both to Sheriff Ross Litman of St. Louis County, and to Sheriff Kelly Lake, of Carlton County, to (1) try to "nail down" the location of that fire, (2) to determine which entity investigated it and determined it was indeed an "arson fire", and (3) to determine which County reported that "arson fire" as an "incendiary fire" statistic to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety for the year 2012.

However, neither of the two Sheriffs have made any response whatsoever to my inquiry. I sent the same email twice, in fact, on May 22, 2015, and on June 1, 2015, and have STILL received no response whatsoever.

I will simply paste the text of those repeated emails below, indented, in quotation marks, and ask for your response to those same questions, which I will report in a future post in my blog. I will include this email in today's blog post, as I have already included the emails to Mr. Shroeder and his reply in the last blog post. Thank you kindly for your responses in this matter.

Sincerely,

Lloyd Wagner

"Dear Sheriff Litman and Sheriff Lake:

I thought it would be easier to send the same email to both of you.

I have some questions about the arson fire reported in the media as having occurred in Cloquet on July 6, 2012, (the one that was confessed to by Sandra and Joseph Couture in St. Louis County Court, as a tampering with unnamed witnesses in the Trina Langenbrunner murder case.)

I noticed a few things about this reported fire that raised questions in my mind, and I ask for your response:

1. It was the first fire I can ever remember that was not reported anywhere in the media the very next morning after it happened, but was only reported a couple of weeks later -- AFTER it had been solved by St. Louis County investigators (based on their having broken a code used in the jail between Sandra and Joseph Couture). 

2. It was reported that the fire was responded to by "Carlton County deputies", but when I looked up fire statistics for incendiary fires in Carlton County for 2012, the total damage reported for seven incidents was $8,600. This despite the fact that the one fire in question had reportedly destroyed a house, plus two vehicles, plus two dogs (who left no skeletons, but were "missing and presumed dead" in the fire).

3. I recently wrote to Mr. Kevin Shroeder, Fire Chief of the Cloquet Area Fire District, who told me that according to his records, no fire took place in that district on that date, nor on July 19, when Molotov cocktails were also reported to have been thrown at the same address, (and also responded to by Carlton County deputies). Mr. Shroeder pointed out that there are some addresses in St. Louis County that do have Cloquet addresses, and also some Cloquet addresses in Carlton County that are out of the Cloquet Area Fire District.

     A. If the fire was indeed in Carlton County, but out of the Cloquet Area Fire District, then it seems it should have shown up in the Carlton County report as an incendiary fire in 2012.

     B. If the fire actually took place in St. Louis County, then it seems it should have been responded to by some St. Louis County fire department, instead of by "Carlton County deputies", as reported.

5. Why would the address of the fire be kept secret from the public? In fear that the Coutures might find out? That of course makes no sense, because if they really did burn a house, they must have known where it was. (!)

6. Which entity initially investigated and made the official determination that the July 6, 2012 fire was an arson fire?

7. Was this fire reported to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety as a St. Louis County fire statistic for July 6, 2012, or as a Carlton County fire statistic? How about the Molotov cocktails that were thrown on July 19, 2012? Why can't I find either of these fires in any Northland news reports anywhere, until in August 2012?

Sheriff Litman may recall that I have repeatedly offered testimony regarding a certain person who met every criteria the Sheriff's Department said they were looking for in the case, since 2001. My testimony has been ignored, and I have even been called a liar in this case, without any DNA data ever being presented to attempt to PROVE me a liar. St. Louis County investigators refused to DNA test the person I pointed at, or to investigate other forensic information I pointed at. Instead, they let the guy know that I was talking about him, which caused him to threaten MY life. Then he was given a very short sentence in NERCC (just across the road from where I used to live) for his umpteenth DWI, and released right back into the rural wooded neighborhood, despite my complaints he had threatened my life.

I've repeatedly attempted to get my testimony into the official record and in front of a jury, and have not been able to do so. For that reason, I started a blog several months ago, to relate that testimony and to present the text of all letters and other communications I have regarding the case.

This email will appear as part of the next post in that blog, and any reply (or lack of reply) I receive to it will be subsequently reported, as well.

Here are the blog links that relate most directly to that reported fire of July 6, 2012.

http://formerlyfarmerly.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-very-unique-case-of-arson.html

http://formerlyfarmerly.blogspot.com/2014/12/ruminations.html

http://formerlyfarmerly.blogspot.com/2015/01/confession-to-murder.html

I thank both of you for your time,

Sincerely,

Lloyd Wagner"

Thank you to all my readers for your interest, and please stay tuned!

Still Digging on That "Arson Fire"

 It's been a while since I posted on this blog. I've been busy trying to wrap up the academic term at the University, writing and grading final exams, etc. And no information seems to fall directly into my lap, any more than does money or luck.
However, a week ago or so the Duluth News Tribune published an article about a special arson-detecting dog from the Cloquet Area Fire District that "assists authorities across the Midwest". Though that dog didn't come to them until 2013, I sent a couple of emails to the Fire Chief of the Cloquet Area Fire District, to ask about the reported arson fire of July 6, 2012. 
Below is my second email, and Mr. Shroeder's reply.

From: Lloyd Wagner [mailto:lewagner2002@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2015 2:30 AM
To: kschroeder@cloquetafd.com
Subject: followup query on Cloquet arson fire

Dear Mr. Schroeder:

I sent you an email a few days ago about an "arson fire" that was reported in the media to have been set by Sandra Couture on July 6, 2012 at the house of a Cloquet resident, and responded to by Carlton County sheriff's deputies.

Sandra Couture was accused of having set this fire to intimidate some unnamed witness in the Trina Langenbrunner murder case.

I pointed out that unlike any other fire, this fire did not appear anywhere in the media until AFTER it was reported "solved" by St. Louis County investigators, and that this fire doesn't show up in any Carlton County fire statistics, anywhere.

I thought that since you are the Cloquet District Fire Chief, you would be the person to ask for an explanation of this anomaly, or who would be able to suggest someone else I might ask instead.

I'd like your comment to post on the blog I've been writing relating my testimony in the Trina Langenbrunner murder, which I linked to in my previous email. Here again are the links which relate most directly to that reported fire:

http://formerlyfarmerly.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-very-unique-case-of-arson.html

http://formerlyfarmerly.blogspot.com/2014/12/ruminations.html

http://formerlyfarmerly.blogspot.com/2015/01/confession-to-murder.html

I realize you're probably busy, and I'll wait for another day or two to proceed.

Thank you again for your time and interest in this matter.

Sincerely,

Lloyd Wagner

 
Kevin Schroeder

To

'Lloyd Wagner'

May 15

Mr. Wagner,

 

I have looked into our records, and based on the limited information that you have provided, I can find no record regarding the fire you refer to on July 6, 2012 in the CAFD system.  Please keep in mind that there is a large area that has a “Cloquet” mailing address  that is not served by our department.  We routinely get inquiries for incidents that occurred at a Cloquet mailing address that lie outside of our response area and are served by other fire departments in both Carlton and St. Louis Counties.  Your email lists a response by Carlton County Sheriff’s deputies, but an investigation by St. Louis County investigators.  This would lead me to believe the fire was North of the CAFD protection area in St. Louis County, and would have been handled by any of a number of volunteer fire departments in that area.   Based on what you have provided me, it appears the best contact would be the investigating officers in St. Louis County.  They would have the information on whose jurisdiction the fire occurred in.

 

I am sorry I could not provide more detailed information on any incident on July 6, 2012.

 

Kevin

 

 

Kevin Schroeder, District Fire Chief

2801 Dewey Avenue, Cloquet, Mn 55720

218-499-4274 | Fax 218-499-4289

www.Cloquetareafiredistrict.com

After receiving this prompt response, I asked Mr. Shroeder further: Who in Carlton County would have been responsible for reporting the total fire statistics to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety? ... but almost immediately after having asked that question I decided instead to follow the advice that Mr. Shroeder had already given me, and to contact the St. Louis County Sheriff's Department.

Those of you who have been reading this blog may laugh, because obviously, I've come full-circle, here -- the FIRST contact was to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Department, way back in 2001, and I've gone several 10's of thousands of miles since then!

However, this time, I've sent the same email to two Sheriffs' Departments, both St. Louis County, and to Carlton County. I hope that between the two, I can at least get this "arson fire" nailed down solid. The email which I will send just before I post this, is below, with the subject, "Cloquet arson fire of July 6, 2012", which for some reason I can't seem to paste as part of the email.

Dear Sheriff Litman and Sheriff Lake:

I thought it would be easier to send the same email to both of you.

I have some questions about the arson fire reported in the media as having occurred in Cloquet on July 6, 2012, (the one that was confessed to by Sandra and Joseph Couture in St. Louis County Court, as a tampering with unnamed witnesses in the Trina Langenbrunner murder case.)

I noticed a few things about this reported fire that raised questions in my mind, and I ask for your response:

1. It was the first fire I can ever remember that was not reported anywhere in the media the very next morning after it happened, but was only reported a couple of weeks later -- AFTER it had been solved by St. Louis County investigators (based on their having broken a code used in the jail between Sandra and Joseph Couture). 

2. It was reported that the fire was responded to by "Carlton County deputies", but when I looked up fire statistics for incendiary fires in Carlton County for 2012, the total damage reported for seven incidents was $8,600. This despite the fact that the one fire in question had reportedly destroyed a house, plus two vehicles, plus two dogs (who left no skeletons, but were "missing and presumed dead" in the fire).

3. I recently wrote to Mr. Kevin Shroeder, Fire Chief of the Cloquet Area Fire District, who told me that according to his records, no fire took place in that district on that date, nor on July 19, when Molotov cocktails were also reported to have been thrown at the same address, (and also responded to by Carlton County deputies). Mr. Shroeder pointed out that there are some addresses in St. Louis County that do have Cloquet addresses, and also some Cloquet addresses in Carlton County that are out of the Cloquet Area Fire District.

     A. If the fire was indeed in Carlton County, but out of the Cloquet Area Fire District, then it seems it should have shown up in the Carlton County report as an incendiary fire in 2012.

     B. If the fire actually took place in St. Louis County, then it seems it should have been responded to by some St. Louis County fire department, instead of by "Carlton County deputies", as reported.

5. Why would the address of the fire be kept secret from the public? In fear that the Coutures might find out? That of course makes no sense, because if they really did burn a house, they must have known where it was. (!)

6. Which entity initially investigated and made the official determination that the July 6, 2012 fire was an arson fire?

7. Was this fire reported to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety as a St. Louis County fire statistic for July 6, 2012, or as a Carlton County fire statistic? How about the Molotov cocktails that were thrown on July 19, 2012? Why can't I find either of these fires in any Northland news reports anywhere, until in August 2012?

Sheriff Litman may recall that I have repeatedly offered testimony regarding a certain person who met every criteria the Sheriff's Department said they were looking for in the case, since 2001. My testimony has been ignored, and I have even been called a liar in this case, without any DNA data ever being presented to attempt to PROVE me a liar. St. Louis County investigators refused to DNA test the person I pointed at, or to investigate other forensic [information] I pointed at. Instead, they let the guy know that I was talking about him, which caused him to threaten MY life. Then he was given a very short sentence in NERCC (just across the road from where I used to live) for his umpteenth DWI, and released right back into the rural wooded neighborhood, despite my complaints he had threatened my life.

I've repeatedly attempted to get my testimony into the official record and in front of a jury, and have not been able to do so. For that reason, I started a blog several months ago, to relate that testimony and to present the text of all letters and other communications I have regarding the case.

This email will appear as part of the next post in that blog, and any reply (or lack of reply) I receive to it will be subsequently reported, as well.

Here are the blog links that relate most directly to that reported fire of July 6, 2012.

http://formerlyfarmerly.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-very-unique-case-of-arson.html

http://formerlyfarmerly.blogspot.com/2014/12/ruminations.html

http://formerlyfarmerly.blogspot.com/2015/01/confession-to-murder.html

I thank both of you for your time,

Sincerely,

Lloyd Wagner

I will be sending the above email shortly, then polish this post up a little, before I publish it.

Thanks for reading, and please stay tuned.

 

A Fascinating Lack of Response, To Two Inquiries (!)

 I have received no response to the letter I mailed to Sandra Couture at Shakopee, Minnesota, though it's been 33 days since I mailed the first copy (on March 14), and 26 days since I mailed the second copy (on March 21). 
On March 28, I also sent a letter by "snail-mail" to a former Minnesota neighbor whose email address I didn't have. I wanted to let her know about this blog, and to ask that she mention it to mutual acquaintances who may not be active on the Internet, may not know about the blog, but may be interested in it. 
I received an email acknowledgement of my former neighbor's receipt of my letter on April 9, which is exactly 12 days after I mailed it, here in Thailand.
So, I guess there are several possible reasons why Sandra Couture hasn't answered me: (1) it's barely possible that neither copy of the letter reached the prison in Shakopee -- but as I've mentioned before, I have yet to see a letter that hasn't made it over there within 10 days or so, and in this case, I've mailed two separate copies, 26 and 33 days ago, (2) it's possible the letter was intercepted for some reason, (3) it's possible Sandra doesn't want to answer the letter for some reason, (4) it's possible she hasn't had time to answer it, (5) it's possible that she doesn't have $1.15 for postage. 
I'll leave that matter for right now. I'm thinking that some reader or future reader of this blog may possibly have an easier way to get in contact with either of the Coutures than I have, and may know things in this matter that I do not know ... I would certainly like to have a chance to ask the Coutures if they were ever informed of my testimony in the murder case before they each made their "confession", and if they know that the "arson fire" they "confessed" to, evidently never even occurred. 
Maybe I will still get an answer in the mail. It's been a big holiday here in Thailand for the past week, and I'm not sure how that has affected the mail delivery schedule.

Now, on to the more general subject of police behavior/misbehavior. We've all heard about the cop shooting the guy in the back in South Carolina a week or so ago, then trying to cover it up by dropping his taser next to the guy, then being "caught" by a citizen's camera, then being charged with murder. 
What rather surprised me was the unusual quickness with which Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay jumped to the forefront to condemn this murder on his Facebook page, saying on April 9:

This reprehensible act makes my gut turn and this criminal needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He has tarnished the badges of all the hard working and ethical officers in the country. Police from coast to coast will have to work harder than ever before to build relationships and trust with everyone we serve. It is a very sad day for policing in America.

It seems weird to me that this seems to be the first time the Chief has taken notice of anything like this -- it's not like it's the first time in the history of the United States that the police have shot an innocent unarmed man in the back, and it's not even the first time this year -- or even this month -- but all of a sudden, THIS DAY SPECIFICALLY is "a very sad day for policing in America". 
Anyway, I went to the comments section of that post, and it didn't take long for me to notice that comments posted there didn't necessarily stay there for long.
Comments praising the police in general, and Police Chief Gordon Ramsay and his department in particular stayed there, of course.  
However, comments directly referring to certain unpleasant happenings right in Duluth involving Duluth police officers and Native American victims were deleted. My comment requesting the Chief's opinion on the framing of the Coutures was not deleted (this time), though you can see for yourself the evasive answer.
Since some of my comments on that page have been deleted in the past, this time I took screen-shots. (The time shown in the lower right of the shots is 12 hours ahead of Duluth time).
I'm just going to post these without much further comment, for anyone who is interested in a case-study of acceptable and unacceptable comments on a police chief's Facebook page. 
Please notice how the post above mine in the second picture is no longer there in the third picture, and how several posts in the fifth picture are no longer there at all in later pictures. 
I messaged Jared Busse (whose post above mine was deleted) personally, and he messaged me this comment: "He also blocked me ask about David Croud he was a good friend of mine the Duluth pd only came off 100,000 for the wrongful death suit."
So it seems here that the "good-cop" -- "bad-cop" posture we've all heard about the police adapting in interrogations, is in fact, just a posture.
It's pretty hard to believe that the Chief really knows more about that case in South Carolina than he does about the Trina Langenbrunner case tried right there in Duluth, and is willing to comment indignantly on the one, but knows nothing about the other.
But that's what he claims, eh?
Anyway, thanks for reading, thanks for viewing, and please stay tuned! 

 

Two Matters: Letter, and My "Quest"

First matter: I air-mailed the letter to Sandra Couture at Shakopee, on March 14, 2015, to see if I can get an answer as to why she confessed to an "arson fire" that does not even exist in any official fire records. The text of the letter is in the previous post.
At the bottom of this post is a copy of the receipt from the Thai Postal Service.
I will send another copy of that same letter within a few days ... though I've never yet had a letter fail to get through from Thailand to the U.S.A. or the other way around, I want to make extra sure that this one gets through.
(Note added on 4-1-2015: Below the receipt for the letter sent on March 14 is a receipt for the second letter I sent a week later, on March 21. In the second letter I added a paragraph by hand to inform Sandra of the postage to Thailand, which is $1.15. I also sent another letter to someone else, which is why the postage doubled. Now I will wait for another two-three weeks to see if I get a reply from Sandra Couture.)
Second matter: I've also sent another short (rather sarcastic) email to Steven Hagenah, the guy who was in charge of the forensic investigation team in the case. I received the following comment from him (indented).

Lloyd, I am sorry you feel I am part of some cover up. I retired several years ago and have always felt that justice was the priority. Presently I am trying to survive a go around with cancer so I may be a bit distracted and as I am not part of the "real" police (as in retired). I don't have the energy to wade through this. Best of luck with your quest. Steve Hagenah

I was very sorry to hear that Steve Hagenah is battling cancer.
I'd like to point out, though, and not only to Steve, that I have not asked for anybody to "wade through" anything. 
I have only asked for simple information about the New Balance shoe tracks (whether they REALLY can tell the color of the shoes), the tire tracks (whether they match the brand of tire that was on my car), and whether or not the BWCA forensic investigators ever got ANY information relating to the headliner of the car Tom Hinze admitted taking the week of the murder, the ashes from the clothes that Tom Hinze burned the week of the murder, or a DNA sample from Tom Hinze. And if they didn't receive any of this, that of course would beg the question as to WHY they didn't, when Tom Hinze met exactly the criteria they said they were looking for.
Mr. Hagenah would be the person who would know this information first-hand, and his refusal to answer these simple questions is in itself an answer, of course. 
Being an honest witness has absolutely nothing to do with "having energy", or with being a "real" police. It is every citizen's civic duty.
A refusal to reveal the truth IS, by definition, a cover up of the truth. 
As far as Steve wishing me good luck in my "quest" -- I will comment on that as well. 
I really have absolutely no idea whether my testimony will ever get into a courtroom, whether the real DNA data will ever be checked between Tom Hinze, Joseph Couture, and the murder scene, or whether any of the other testimony and forensic data that has been covered up will ever see the light of day, in this world. Obviously, the car has already been scrapped, the ashes have long since been scattered to the wind, and a lot of the other evidence has also disappeared. One of the guys who worked at the jail during the time Tom was given those shoes by a jailer, is already deceased. The Minnesota DOC refuses to even give me Joseph Couture's address in prison, so I can write and ask him for HIS testimony.
However, Mr. Hagenah, I'd like you and everyone else to know that I have already fulfilled my "quest", thank you -- in that I will be able to look my Maker in the eye some day without having to mumble an abject admission that I deliberately covered anything up, in a brutal murder case. 
I'm doing the best I can, here, and I'm not even a retired "law enforcement" pensioner. I AM a witness in a murder case, working about 50 hours per week (in a pretty taxing job, by the way, teaching English writing to about 230 foreign students, and editing and grading all their papers every week) just to get by -- and trying to do this, besides.
Anyway ...... thank you for reading, and please stay tuned.

Letter to Sandra Couture

The below is self-explanatory. I will be mailing it as soon as I can get to the post office, and will then update this post to tell the date I actually mailed it. Today's date is March 10, 2015. This is the actual text of the letter I will be mailing. On the bottom is a screenshot of Sandra Couture's DOC Offender Locator page.

As reported two posts back, the DOC refuses to give me Joseph Couture's address, so I cannot write to ask him why he confessed to a crime without the Prosecutor presenting any evidence or sworn testimony in a courtroom showing that he actually committed the crime. 

From: Lloyd Wagner

24 Thamrong Prasit Road #8

Nai Muang, Amphur Muang

Nakhon Phanom, Thailand 48000

Sandra Kay Couture

OID# 240974

MFC Shakopee

1010 West 6th Avenue

Shakopee, MN 55379 U.S.A.
March 10, 2015

Hello Sandra Couture,

                I’m writing to you because back in August 2000 I witnessed a pair of size 11 or 12 New Balance shoes on a former neighbor of mine in Twig, MN, named Thomas (Tom) J. Hinze. In addition, Tom Hinze was driving a black Chrysler minivan the last week in August 2000, in addition, Tom Hinze told me that he had taken my vehicle from my yard the week of the Langenbrunner murder, in addition, Tom Hinze told me that he had burned clothing in a woodstove the week of the Langenbrunner murder, in addition, Tom Hinze left town shortly after the Langenbrunner murder, in addition, Tom had a reputation for violence and a bad attitude toward women (especially “Indian women”, he compared them to “animals”).

                I wasn’t much of a newspaper reader back in 2000. In addition, my mother died in the fall of 2000, my father and I were very busy working on publishing a book in the fall of 2000, and there were many other things going on, as well. Also, I knew first hand that Tom Hinze’s minivan had been in impound the night of the Langenbrunner murder, so I never even considered that it could have been him, until I read a full year later that the Sheriff was looking for the size 11 or 12 New Balance shoes, and I started putting 2 and 2 together.

I have repeatedly told the Sheriff’s Department about all of this information, but they have repeatedly refused to DNA-test Mr. Hinze, or to even look at the woodstove or the car that Tom told me he had “borrowed”. The Sheriff’s Department said I was “looking for a reward”, and wouldn’t even investigate. (Tom Hinze died in October 2013 and I’m still saying the same as I said years ago, so I’m not “looking for a reward”.)

                When I read that Joseph had been arrested for the murder, I also sent all of this information to the Public Defender’s office, and though they confirmed to me that Tom Hinze had never been DNA-tested, they didn’t seem to think it was at all important, nor did they make any insistence that the Prosecutors come up with any DNA proof to show that Joseph did the crime. They just accepted his “confession” without requiring any forensic evidence or any sworn testimony from any witnesses. As you know, all the Prosecutors had to back their story was an unnamed witness, and that witness is STILL unnamed.

                I have also checked all over the Internet to see about that July 6, 2012 “arson fire” that you and Joseph both “confessed” to. There was no fire ever reported in Cloquet, or anywhere else in Carlton County on July 6, 2012, until AFTER they had charged you with setting one. And then they never said where the fire was, because I guess they didn’t want you or Joseph to know whose house it was, though according to them, you already DID know, or why else would you go set it on fire??

That’s the only case in history that I can find, that a fire supposedly burned a house and two vehicles, plus killing two dogs that never left any skeletons, but were “missing and presumed dead”, that never made it into the newspaper the very next morning. In fact, ALL fires are reported the next morning, except for that one! There WAS NO fire reported on July 6, in Cloquet.

                Also, did you know that the official Minnesota fire statistics for 2012 reported a TOTAL of $8,600 damage for ALL “incendiary fires” in Carlton County in ALL of 2012?

                I am so irritated at being called a liar in this case, and my testimony being covered up and ignored, and also, my life was threatened by Tom Hinze, that I have started a blog on the Internet about this, and am digging out every bit of information I can find. I’ve published all of the above on the blog, plus a lot more. It’s called “Trina Langenbrunner Case Solved?”

                I have your address from the Minnesota Department of Corrections Prisoner Locator website – you are listed as MnDOC Offender ID 240974, at Shakopee, and I have thoroughly checked into the way to address letters to prisoners.  I will post a copy of this letter on the blog before I mail it to you,  – and I will mail at least 2 copies, a few days apart. The Thai postal system is very reliable, and my family in the U.S. and I have even sent cash through it from time to time. Not a single one of our letters has failed to get through in either direction – but as I have found when I attempted to get Joseph’s mailing address from the Department of Corrections, they refused to give it to me, as he is “serving his sentence out of state” and it is “DOC policy” to not give out his address.

I suspect that they may try to “deep-six” any letter I send to you, too, or try to dictate your reply, or whatever … but I would like to hear and report your story of whatever it was that caused you to confess to setting a fire that according to all the evidence, never even happened.  And please send me Joseph’s mailing address too, if you have it, or any other info you might be able to give me on what went on to induce you to “confess” in this case.

Mail takes about 10-12 days, each way. I will post this on my blog, before I actually mail it – then I will post the date that I actually mail it – and then I will wait for roughly a month for a reply. I will then post whatever reply I get, with my comments, or I will report that I have not received any reply.

Whatever is the case.

Good luck,

Lloyd Wagner

Below are the 2 screenshots of the Offender Locator, as of today, March 10, 2015. 
Thanks for reading, and please stay tuned.

Attempts to Correspond with Steven Hagenah (Part 2)

The following post consists of 3 emails sent by me to Steven Hagenah, a law enforcement instructor at Leech Lake Tribal College in Bemidji, Minnesota, and retired agent from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (who I introduced in the last post). I include Mr. Hagenah's response (which I finally received after my 3rd email), and my comments, (in red font). ***(Note on August 3, 2018 ... Steve Hagenah is now deceased, so some of the external links do not show the same info that they did when this post was first published, 4 years ago.)***

Me to steven.hagenah@lltc.edu

Jan 14

Dear Sir,

I originally sent this as a Facebook message, but it doesn't seem as though you are active on Facebook.

I am assuming that you are the Steve Hagenah who worked as forensic investigator for the MBCA.

I recently read an article about you in an old Duluth News Tribune article, saying that you conducted analysis of info in the Trina Langenbrunner case.

I have testimony in that case that I have reason to believe was withheld from your office. As I couldn't get my testimony into a courtroom, I have been relating the story, plus my research into various related issues, in 16 posts so far, the first of which is here: http://formerlyfarmerly.blogspot.com/2014/09/introduction.html

If your office was actually provided with all of this information, please let me know.

Sorry to bother a retired person, but I got the impression through the Tribune article that you may not be the type to just "drop everything" after retirement.

Regards, Lloyd Wagner

P.S. I'll wait for a couple of weeks before continuing with the blog, as I feel that your information is very important. I prefer not to continue without it.

Thank you very much.

me

To

steven.hagenah@lltc.edu

Jan 27

Dear Sir,

I believe that certain forensic data in the Trina Langenbrunner case was deliberately withheld from your former office in the MBCA.

As you have been informed, Joseph Couture was convicted of the crime solely on his own confession in 2013, with no physical data or sworn testimony of any witness ever being presented to a jury.

I need to know if your former office did or did not receive any forensic data concerning a Thomas J. Hinze, about whom I related a considerable amount of information to the St. Louis Sheriff's Department investigators. My testimony was evidently ignored, since the Investigator from the Public Defender's Office, Mr. Ron Taggart, informed me that Thomas Hinze was never DNA-tested (though many others were). That is inexplicable, since Mr. Hinze met EVERY criteria the Sheriff was advertising for: he had opportunity, had no alibi, was witnessed wearing size 11-12 New Balance shoes just before the murder, left town a couple of days after the murder, drove a black Chrysler minivan the week before the murder, had a reputation for violence ...... Not to mention that he threatened my life for talking about him in the case.

I need the information about whether or not your former office received any data concerning Mr. Hinze in order to continue the blog I have been writing concerning my testimony and research regarding the case.

Trina Langenbrunner Case "Solved"?

 (Here was a link to this blog, that previewed the screen shot showing the total 2012 damage from incendiary fires in Carlton County, MN, less than $9,000, as reported in official Minnesota State Fire Statistics -- despite Sandra Couture supposedly having burned down a house plus two vehicles in Cloquet, on July 6 of 2012.)

This is the second email I've sent you regarding this simple yes-or-no question, and I also sent 2 messages to your Facebook account.

I've checked on Google, and I have no doubt that you are the Steven Hagenah who was in charge of the forensic investigation in the case, and that this is your present email address.

I'll wait for another couple of days, and if I still receive no answer, I will relate that information in the blog, that after 4 attempts, I have received no answer.

Thank you,

Lloyd Wagner

 me

To

steven.hagenah@lltc.edu

Feb 12 at 3:27 PM

Dear Mr. Hagenah,

I've written a rough draft of my next blog post, relating my experiences trying to get my testimony taken seriously in the Trina Langenbrunner case.

As my attempted correspondence with you will be the main subject in the next post to be published in a couple of days, I thought I would give you a quick chance to read it before I publish it, and to comment to me, if you wish. (Comment from Lloyd Wagner, 2-20-2015: The "rough draft" referred to here has actually already been published, in the last post.)

Thanks,

Lloyd Wagner

Below is the “answer” I finally got from Steven Hagenah, after 6 weeks. I will analyze it paragraph by paragraph, and comment, in red font:

Steven Hagenah

To

me

Feb 13 at 3:38 AM

Mr. Wagner, I did read your emails. I chose not to respond as I have no idea of who you are and why you are fixated/interested on this case. (Comment from Lloyd Wagner, 2-20-2015: I quote directly from my January 27 email (above). I thought my email was an adequately clear introduction about who I am, and why I am “fixated/interested” on the case. I’ll reproduce the applicable parts of that email once more, right below, in italics.)  

Jan 27

Dear Sir,

I believe that certain forensic data in the Trina Langenbrunner case was deliberately withheld from your former office in the MBCA.

As you have been informed, Joseph Couture was convicted of the crime solely on his own confession in 2013, with no physical data or sworn testimony of any witness ever being presented to a jury.

I need to know if your former office did or did not receive any forensic data concerning a Thomas J. Hinze, about whom I related a considerable amount of information to the St. Louis Sheriff's Department investigators. My testimony was evidently ignored, since the Investigator from the Public Defender's Office, Mr. Ron Taggart, informed me that Thomas Hinze was never DNA-tested (though many others were). That is inexplicable, since Mr. Hinze met EVERY criteria the Sheriff was advertising for: he had opportunity, had no alibi, was witnessed wearing size 11-12 New Balance shoes just before the murder, left town a couple of days after the murder, drove a black Chrysler minivan the week before the murder, had a reputation for violence ...... Not to mention that he threatened my life for talking about him in the case.  (Comment from Lloyd Wagner, 2-20-2015: I really don’t have any idea how to express myself any more clearly than the above email. I have a Master’s Degree in the English language, with a related field of Linguistics, have done no small amount of professional writing, and have 9 years’ experience in teaching college-level English as a Second Language.

For Christ’s sake, even my 2nd-year English students in Thailand can understand what I wrote here. It’s beyond belief that Mr. Hagenah cannot understand such plain English.)

In addition, I am no longer an active law enforcement person. (Comment from Lloyd Wagner 2-20-2015: Any citizen receiving information concerning a possible cover-up of testimony in a felony crime, especially a brutal murder, has the moral and legal duty to act on it, not only “active law enforcement people”. Besides, here is what Steven Hagenah said in the June 16, 2012 News Tribune article, and I quote from that article, again, in italics:

“Steve Hagenah, a retired senior special agent with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in Bemidji, worked for years on the case and was thrilled to hear abot an arrest Friday night.

        “I know some people who busted their chops on that case,” he said. “It just goes to show that you never give up.”

        He said that while many of the people who worked on the case early on are now retired, investigators wear a cold case “like an albatross around your neck,” he said.

        “You never stop thinking about it.” (Comment from Lloyd Wagner 2-20-2015: Are you or are you not thinking about it, Mr. Hagenah?)

You need to speak with the "real" police but it seems you have worn out your welcome in that regard. (Comment from Lloyd Wagner, 2-20-2015: Again, the email quoted above seems to say in pretty clear English that I HAVE REPEATEDLY spoken with the so-called “real” police, and that they inexplicably have refused to check into my information.

In addition, the so-called “real” police also informed Mr. Hinze of my confidential testimony, and completely failed to act on my complaints that Mr. Hinze had threatened my life in consequence of their telling him about my confidential testimony.

I’m not sure what the hell the phrase “wearing out my welcome” has to do with anything at ALL, in “real” police work, Mr. Hagenah.

I wonder where you learned about Law Enforcement, and how in the world you can claim any right to be teaching the subject in a Tribal College, when you talk about testimony in a murder case being “welcome”, or not “welcome”.

Check the Mr. Hinze’s DNA, already, is all that’s required. Not like or dislike, or welcome, or unwelcome, just check his DNA. That’s where the evidence lies, Mr. Hagenah.)

I do not check my Facebook stuff as it seems mostly a waste of time so that is not a method to get information to me.

(Comment from Lloyd Wagner 2-20-2015: That’s entirely up to you, of course, Mr. Hagenah. Then after I gave up trying to contact you through Facebook, it still took 3 emails (above), including a threat to contact your employer, Leech Lake Tribal College, before you finally sent me this smoke-screen I am commenting on now.)

I assure you, I get many emails from many people to consider themselves investigators or detectives and to be quite honest with you, I ignore most of them.

(Comment from Lloyd Wagner 2-20-2015: I related my direct testimony, including what I SAW, and what I HEARD, namely: a detailed description of the tire that had been on the car Mr. Hinze could very easily have taken the night of the murder, a description of the vehicle Mr. Hinze had been driving just before the murder, some simple facts of Mr. Hinze’s movements the week of the murder and shortly thereafter … and I asked a simple question, whether Mr. Hagenah’s office had received any forensic data from Mr. Hinze from the “real” police.

I still cannot get a straight answer from Mr. Hagenah.

As far as “considering myself to be an “investigator” or a “detective”, well, Mr. Hagenah, when I see size 11 or 12 New Balance shoes, and belatedly find out that the police are looking for someone who wore New Balance shoes of that same size that I saw, and the same week that I saw them, besides (!) it shouldn’t take much of a damned “investigator” or “detective” to realize that it is my duty to tell the "real" police what I saw.

And when the SAME person had also been driving a Chrysler mini-van just a week before the murder, had an easy opportunity to steal my car the night of the murder, had had no alibi, had left town right after the murder, and had also told me he had burned clothes right after the murder, it shouldn’t  take a professional “detective” or “investigator” to think that perhaps the “real” police should have checked his DNA.

Isn’t that pretty basic, Mr. Hagenah, or wouldn’t you know?

I am not being intentional rude but I have little time for some of the fantastic tales people send me. (Comment from Lloyd Wagner, 2-20-2015: That should be “intentionally rude”, buddy, use the adverb form – and ya, you ARE being intentionally rude, by calling my story “fantastic”, without ever checking the forensic data, or ever answering my simple questions whether you did or did not receive the forensic data.

I guess what I would call “fantastic”, would be for someone to ask me or anyone else to believe that the “real” police have done their jobs, here. According to Ron Taggart from the Public Defender’s office, the Sheriff’s office did actually check the DNA of many people (I’d assume through the MBCA, though I don’t know for sure), though not including Tom Hinze.

 Am I supposed to think that ALL of the people they checked ALSO were seen wearing size 11 or 12 New Balance shoes, drove a Chrysler mini-van, were (or could have been) in the Brookston area the night of the murder, and may have been acting strangely (like burning clothes in a woodstove) or left town shortly after the murder? The same as Tom Hinze actually did? ALL of these people they DID DNA-test, met all of the above criteria? Otherwise they wouldn’t have had to check them?

Now that IS “fantastic”, Mr. Hagenah. Only a fool would believe that. Yet evidently they DNA-tested all those OTHER people, while refusing to DNA-test the guy who I have repeatedly and still repeatedly swear met every one of those criteria.)   

Some of your "evidence" or information is obviously in error and thus, not valid for consideration.

(Comment from Lloyd Wagner, 2-20-2015: I used the words “data”, “testimony”, and “information”, and I did NOT use the word “evidence”. You’re putting words into my mouth.

My testimony is NOT “obviously in error”, it is my testimony. The only way that my testimony would be incorrect would be if I had MADE UP that testimony, and was lying. And the only way to check into that and to prove that I was lying, would be to check into the DATA, which is exactly what I asked YOU, Mr. Hagenah.

DID your office receive any information on any forensic DATA on Tom Hinze? If you had, and if that DATA had proven that I was lying, then you’d have something to say. Otherwise, I’ll repeat, you’re obviously throwing up a smoke-screen to try to cover for WHY they did not check into my information, and why my testimony AND the forensic data has been very deftly kept out of a courtroom.   

I am not the person to list all the details for you.

(Comment from Lloyd Wagner 2-20-2015: I didn’t ask you to list any details, Mr. Hagenah, I asked you if your office had received the data, regarding the description of the tire on the car, streaks on the headliner that were reported as looking as if someone may have wiped blood off his fingers, ashes from the woodstove in which Mr. Hinze said he burned clothes, and especially Mr. Hinze’s DNA sample. Did it or did it not match that of the DNA found at the crime scene? Yes or No would be sufficient, and details would not be required.)

I do appreciate that you take an interest in justice and seeking truth but it does not take much misinformation to lead one down a blind alley.

(No, I don’t think you really appreciate that I take an interest in justice and seeking truth – or you would have answered my questions.

As far as “misinformation”, you are not accusing me of making a mistake, you are calling me a liar, as all of the information I mentioned to you relates to things I am ready to testify to, under oath. I don’t appreciate being called a liar without any attempt made to PROVE me a liar, and I will say that the “leading down a blind alley” is what you and the “real” police have been trying to do to both Trina Langenbrunner’s family, and to the public.)

I am certain those who follow your blogs await the next installment.

(Comment from Lloyd Wagner, 2-20-2015: Yeah, I think they do, thanks, Steve. Less and less people are believing the mainstream media and lying police than used to, which causes more and more people to get their news elsewhere.)

Sincerely, (Comment from Lloyd Wagner, 2-20-2015: “Sincerely”??)

Steve Hagenah (retired Agent) (Comment from Lloyd Wagner, 2-20-2015: Yeah, retired, all right, undoubtedly collecting a nice pension from Minnesota taxpayers, and double-dipping from the tribal college, besides. A guy who seemingly can't even read English, and doesn't seem to know (or care) anything about the reliability of DNA evidence in a murder case, either. Now we ARE talking about some "fantastic" crap going on.)

Well, that’s the end of this post. Once again I am left with a bad taste in my mouth.

But thanks for reading, and please stay tuned.