Police are further investigating a Waseca death after investigators found a bloody shoe print, dried blood on the wall and floor that appeared to be smeared, and wipes that appeared to be used to clean up, according to a court document.
Investigators at the scene believe the deceased man was killed from a shotgun wound, and while the scene initially seemed to indicate a suicide, further discoveries raised enough questions to warrant a closer look from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. No determinations have yet been made as to the nature of the death.
The Waseca Police Department states there is no believed danger to the public.
Around midday Wednesday, May 8, police headed to a residence on the 900 block of Third Street SW in Waseca for a welfare check. A neighbor reported the lawn had not been mowed and mail had been packed up in a bag. Both vehicles owned by the property owner, who was later found deceased, were in the garage, but no lights were on in the residence.
Police were aware of recent employment and health concerns in the man's life.
Police called family members before finding the body, and they were told by one family member that he had thought about calling for a welfare check. With all doors and windows locked, police chose to force entry.
Inside, the officer found the man sitting on a couch in the basement by the west wall. They observed he was dead from the apparent gunshot wound, and found a shotgun on his person. There were also two firearms hanging on the south wall.
According to the court document, officers believed the scene indicated a suicide, but more discoveries added questions.
Investigators observed what "appeared to be a dried bloody shoe print on a rug that was at the bottom of the basement stairs. Several pairs of shoes were near the rug, but none of them had blood on the bottoms."
Investigators found another apparent bloody shoe print on the linoleum, in addition to several spots of dried blood that "appeared to be wiped up causing the blood spot to be smeared." Smeared blood was found in locations on the floor and the stairway wall.
There were also "several used wipes throughout the residence that appeared to have been used to clean up something," the court document stated. The wipes were white in color before use, but they were brown and/or red in color after. And there was one spot under the rug described as "wet and clean," smelling of mildew.
The BCA was brought in to collect forensic evidence.
WPD release
Members of the Waseca community noticed the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension team was in town at the residence for several hours.
The presence of the BCA led to questions, and the Police Department said in a release Thursday morning that it requested the BCA for "scene processing assistance."
There was no indication from WPD as to whether the death was suspicious. The release did note that an investigation is ongoing, but it stated there was no suspected danger to the public.
The release stated:
"On Wednesday, May 8 at about 12:24 p.m., officers of the Waseca Police Department were dispatched to a welfare check call in the 900 block of 3rd Street SW. After attempts to locate or contact the resident failed, Officers made entry to the home. A 64 year-old male was found in the house, deceased.
"The Waseca Police Department requested scene processing assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). The BCA often assists agencies across Minnesota with technical assistance at death scenes.
"The deceased male was transported to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.
"This investigation is ongoing. We do not suspect any ongoing danger or threat to the public.
"We express our deepest condolences to the family in their time of loss."
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