A northwestern Minnesota woman has admitted that she killed her boyfriend by tying him to a truck and dragging him along a rural road.
Jessica M. Kilde, 33, of Ogema, pleaded guilty this week in Becker County District Court to second-degree intentional murder in the Aug. 15 death of Richard A. Baity, 41.
According to prosecutors:
Sheriff’s deputies found Baity’s body on the road about 50 yards from his driveway along E. 370th Street in Maple Grove Township.
Evidence pointed to Baity having been dragged, including the discovery nearby of a broken strap that was consistent with the fresh marks on the victim’s neck.
Also, drag marks on the road led back to Baity’s home, “indicating Baity had been dragged down the driveway and onto the roadway,” the complaint read.
Kilde was spotted nearby driving a vehicle which had a portion of a strap tied to the top of the frame of the passenger-side rear door. The strap on the door matched the strap found near Baity’s body.
Kilde told authorities that she and Baity had a disagreement at his home that night, but it was nothing serious.
The complaint noted that the two had been drinking and smoking methamphetamine at the home earlier in the day.
Kilde remains jailed ahead of sentencing on March 16. Her criminal history includes convictions for drunken driving, check forgery, domestic assault and disorderly conduct.
33 year old Jessica Kilde, of Ogema, Minnesota, has been charged with murder after she admitted killing her boyfriend by tying him to a truck and dragging him along a rural road.
Jessica pleaded guilty at the Becker County District Court, to second-degree intentional murder for the death of her boyfriend, 41-year-old Richard Baity. According to prosecutors, sheriff’s deputies found the body of Baity on the road about 50 yards from his driveway, which is located on E. 370th Street in Maple Grove Township. Police discovered a piece of rope around his neck.
The rope around his neck and the piece of rope on Kilde’s van matched. They also found skid marks on the road, leading back to Baity’s home. Kilde told police that she and Baity had a disagreement at home that night, but it was nothing serious.
According to police, the two had been drinking alcohol and were smoking methamphetamine in the home earlier in the day. Kilde remains in jail pending her sentencing. Her criminal history includes convictions for drunk driving, domestic assault and disorderly conduct.