Beltrami County Sheriff's Office forwards double homicide case to Beltrami County Attorney's Office for review for criminal charges

FEBRUARY 13, 2019 BEMIDJI MN: Beltrami County Sheriff's Office has this day forwarded for review to the Beltrami County Attorney's Office the case involving the double homicide that was discovered on February 7, 2019. Investigators have been working to gather evidence, interview potential suspects and witnesses, and establishing a motive and timeline of events leading up to the discovery of the human remains at a residence located in the 6500 block of Highway 89 NW in Eckles Township, northwest of Bemidji.

A suspect, Darren L. Stebe, age 44 of Bemidji, was arrested on February 5, 2019 for violations related to his MN Department of Corrections Probation. Stebe is expected to be arraigned on charges relating to causing the death of Adam P. Thorpe, age 39, of Maple Grove, MN and Jason J. McDonough, age 41, last known address of Superior, WI.

Investigators from the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office and the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension along with MN BCA Crime Scene Team executed a search warrant on February 7, 2019 and recovered the remains of two individuals from a fire pit located on the property. The remains were sent to the Ramsey County Medicals Office for autopsy and positive identification. One of the remains has been preliminarily identified as belonging to Thorpe. Further testing is needed to confirm the identity of the other remains but they are believed to be those of McDonough.

No other information can be released at this time until the case is reviewed and formal charges are filed by the Beltrami County Attorney's Office.

Sheriff Ernie Beitel

Beltrami County Sheriff's Office