1st-Degree Murder Added To Charges Of Man Accused Of Killing His Mother, Big Lake City Council Member
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 20-year-old Big Lake man faces another murder charge in connection to the beating and stabbing death of his mother last month.
According to the charge filed Monday in Sherburne County, Eric Jordahl was charged with a count of premeditated first-degree murder in connection to the July 23 killing of 62-year-old Rosalie Johnson. He was previously charged last month with two counts of second-degree murder.
The judge increased his bail during Monday's court appearance to $3 million without conditions, or $2 million with several conditions -- one of which is submitting to GPS monitoring.
According to the criminal complaint, a man called for assistance shortly after 9 a.m., reporting that his son said he killed his mother. The incident took place on the 1800 block of Golf Street in Big Lake.
When officers arrived on scene, they located the son, identified as Jordahl, and saw that he was covered in blood. Officers found the body of the victim in a lower-level basement bedroom. Police said she had obvious facial trauma.
Johnson was appointed in 2019 to be a member of the Big Lake City Council. She was set to fill the seat until November of 2020.
The complaint said Jordahl waived his Miranda rights and gave a statement. He allegedly admitted to going into his mother's bedroom at night. When she told him to go back to sleep, he punched her repeatedly. He then left, went upstairs, retrieved a butcher knife and went back to her room. He said he then stabbed her multiple times.
Jordahl's father later called police when he returned home from work.
The medical examiner ruled the death homicide and determined Johnson suffered both sharp and blunt force trauma to her head and body. The medical examiner said they needed the victim's dental records in order to positively identify her.
If convicted, Jordahl could face up to 40 years in prison per murder charge. His next court appearance is scheduled for the afternoon of Sept. 23.
