What the heck is going on in Wells County ?!?!?!
Two Charged in Brutal Assault on Wells County Man
Victim of Attack Died of Heart Issues Days Later
Copyright 2017 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fessenden, ND - Two people are facing charges in connection with an assault against a man in rural Wells County last week.
The victim of that assault died later in the week.
Investigators say Alexander Lail and Deanna Neurohr used an ice auger to burn the inside thigh of Jason Thomas's right leg and Thomas, according to court records, "suffered permanent loss or impairment of a function or a bodily member or organ."
Thomas died of heart issues a few days after the attack.
Lail and Neurohr are charged with Criminal Conspiracy - a Class A Felony carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault - a Class B Felony with a 10 year maximum.
Other charges were also filed last week against the pair.
Lail was charged with felony eavesdropping.
Court records say Lail bugged the office of Fessenden's police chief for several months last year.
Neurohr was booked on a felony drug possession charge.
The two are due to make their initial court appearances next week.
- - - Updated - - -
Wells County sheriff resigns, deputies fired, investigation underway
Thursday, April 27, 2017 12:08 p.m. CDT
by Don Haney
Former Wells County Sheriff Johnny Lawson
Former Wells County Sheriff Johnny Lawson
FESSENDEN, NORTH DAKOTA (KFGO) - Wells County, North Dakota has found itself without a sheriff's department, at least temporarily.
KFGO News has learned Sheriff Johnny Z. Lawson has resigned, effective this past Tuesday and county commissioners fired his two deputies this week.
States Attorney Kathleen Murray did not return calls but a spokesperson in her office says an investigation is underway but she cannot comment on reasons for the departure of the officers or what the investigation is about.
Lawson is unavailable, but in a post on his Facebook page, he wrote he was resigning "due to personal reasons."
Sheriff's departments in the neighboring counties of Foster, Eddy, and Sheridan are providing interim law enforcement coverage for Wells County. One sheriff told KFGO News, the additional responsibility will stretch the resources for his small department but said "when asked, we do what we can to help."
Two Charged in Brutal Assault on Wells County Man
Victim of Attack Died of Heart Issues Days Later
Copyright 2017 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fessenden, ND - Two people are facing charges in connection with an assault against a man in rural Wells County last week.
The victim of that assault died later in the week.
Investigators say Alexander Lail and Deanna Neurohr used an ice auger to burn the inside thigh of Jason Thomas's right leg and Thomas, according to court records, "suffered permanent loss or impairment of a function or a bodily member or organ."
Thomas died of heart issues a few days after the attack.
Lail and Neurohr are charged with Criminal Conspiracy - a Class A Felony carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault - a Class B Felony with a 10 year maximum.
Other charges were also filed last week against the pair.
Lail was charged with felony eavesdropping.
Court records say Lail bugged the office of Fessenden's police chief for several months last year.
Neurohr was booked on a felony drug possession charge.
The two are due to make their initial court appearances next week.
- - - Updated - - -
Wells County sheriff resigns, deputies fired, investigation underway
Thursday, April 27, 2017 12:08 p.m. CDT
by Don Haney
Former Wells County Sheriff Johnny Lawson
Former Wells County Sheriff Johnny Lawson
FESSENDEN, NORTH DAKOTA (KFGO) - Wells County, North Dakota has found itself without a sheriff's department, at least temporarily.
KFGO News has learned Sheriff Johnny Z. Lawson has resigned, effective this past Tuesday and county commissioners fired his two deputies this week.
States Attorney Kathleen Murray did not return calls but a spokesperson in her office says an investigation is underway but she cannot comment on reasons for the departure of the officers or what the investigation is about.
Lawson is unavailable, but in a post on his Facebook page, he wrote he was resigning "due to personal reasons."
Sheriff's departments in the neighboring counties of Foster, Eddy, and Sheridan are providing interim law enforcement coverage for Wells County. One sheriff told KFGO News, the additional responsibility will stretch the resources for his small department but said "when asked, we do what we can to help."