Man Arrested In Chicago For Brutal Minn. Motel Murder
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The man police say is responsible for a brutal murder at a St. Louis Park motel was arrested in Chicago on Tuesday.
U.S. Marshals found James Edward Reed, 31, in Illinois and say he will be extradited back to Minnesota.
On Nov. 18, Pamela Beaulieu, 32, was found dead in a motel room at the Lakeland Inn in St. Louis Park. Police say the room was ransacked and blood was all over the place.
On Tuesday, St. Louis Park Police Chief John Luse said Beaulieu was cut with shards of a broken mirror and the killer slit her throat.
Chief Luse said Reed's palm print and blood were found at the crime scene. Investigators say they used the victim's cell phone records to help piece together what happen. Police tracked down a witness who said Reed contacted her that day and asked for a ride. When she picked him up, she told officers that Reed was bleeding and had cuts all over his hands. She told police Reed was crying and said he had been in a fight.
The day of the murder, investigators said Beaulieu had been at the Lakeland Inn Motel and left with two men to take part in a drug deal. That's when they met up with Reed. A witness told police, after they got back to the motel, Reed said he wanted some time alone with Beaulieu.
Around 1:30 p.m. a guest at the motel reported hearing a woman scream. Court documents said the motel staff checked it out, but they checked the wrong room. Around 7 p.m. a hotel manager discovered the room trashed and Beaulieu's bloody body.
Police aren't sure what the relationship was between Reed and Beaulieu. Investigators said Reed has a long rap sheet and multiple aliases. Reed is also on the BCA's predatory offender list. He has ties in Chicago, but is known to live in the Twin Cities.
Police had arrested two men in connection with the crime early in the investigation, but they have since been released.
NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Telly Mamayek Reports
Podcast
Holly Wagner Reports
