Federal prosecutors to no longer seek death penalty in killing of Dru Sjodin

FARGO, N.D. -- Federal prosecutors in North Dakota will no longer seek the death penalty in the 2003 killing of college student Dru Sjodin.

On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider announced the U.S. Attorney General directed him to withdraw the notice of intent to seek a death sentence for Alfonso Rodriguez Jr.

Rodriguez has been on death row at a federal prison for two decades in the death of Sjodin, a Minnesota woman who was abducted from a Grand Forks mall parking lot 20 years ago. Rodriguez, a sex offender, was arrested the following month. Despite several massive searches, Sjodin's body wasn't found until the following April near Crookston, Minnesota.

"My thoughts today are with Dru Sjodin's family, particularly her parents, Linda Walker and Allan Sjodin," Schneider said. "They are genuinely good people and loving parents who in the wake of an unimaginable loss have worked closely with our office for nearly twenty years. We continue to wish them the greatest measure of peace possible."

A withdrawal notice indicating the death sentence will no longer be pursued was filed Tuesday.

"The directive to withdraw the death notice has changed how the United States Attorney's Office will proceed with this case. What will not change is that Mr. Rodriguez will draw his last breath in a federal prison," Schneider said.

In 2021, a judge threw out the death sentence and ordered a new sentencing phase to be conducted, saying new evidence showed that the medical examiner was "guessing" on the stand and defense lawyers did not adequately explore mental health evidence.