The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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January 5, 2010

Standoff suspect charged

Police had been investigating Lynch over alleged threats

By Dan Nienaber

MANKATO — A 22-year-old Mankato man who was arrested after a standoff with police Saturday was wanted for questioning about threats reported by a Lake Crystal man.

Jasen Jon Lynch appeared in Blue Earth County District Court Tuesday for a felony charge of making terroristic threats and a gross misdemeanor charge of harassment and stalking.

Lynch has been in custody since his arrest Saturday but spent much of that time at Immanuel St. Joseph’s Hospital for a mental evaluation.

Police were held at bay in bitterly cold weather for about three hours before Lynch was arrested by members of the Minnesota River Valley Tactical Response Team. He was at his mother’s house on the 500 block of Homestead Drive and had allegedly threatened to harm himself or do something to force officers to harm him, a Mankato Department of Public Safety news release said.

He was arrested without incident after the tactical team entered the house to arrest him.

A criminal complaint filed Tuesday said Lynch was under investigation for using Facebook to threaten a Lake Crystal man who is dating his former girlfriend. The threats were initially reported by the Lake Crystal man’s mother, who called police Saturday to report she had received an e-mail from Lynch that made reference to killing her son.

When a Lake Crystal police officer talked to her son, identified only as “C.R.,” and Lynch’s former girlfriend, identified as “K.S.,” he learned the threatening e-mails had started in early October, the criminal complaint said. The couple showed the officer copies of e-mails Lynch had sent.

According to the complaint, the first e-mail, dated Oct. 5, said, “You’re lucky I didn’t know you were dating K.S. at the time I seen you BW3. I would of put your face into the ground.”

Several e-mails were sent before a final e-mail was sent Saturday. A copy of that e-mail allegedly said, “The devil is inside of me, and I’m going to kill you ... ”

Both the man and the woman said they believed Lynch was capable of hurting someone. The woman also said Lynch had sent a message to her via Facebook that made a specific reference to slitting C.R.’s throat, the complaint said.

The officer attempted to contact Lynch first by phone, then through a friend living in Mankato. When that friend was interviewed at his home, he told the officer he had seen Lynch on Friday and Lynch had made references to suicide.

At about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, another Lake Crystal officer received a call from Lynch’s sister. She reported receiving a text message from Lynch that said he was at their mother’s house with a knife. The standoff followed.

Lynch’s bail was set at $15,000 during Tuesday’s court hearing. Conditions of his bail include not leaving the state, staying away from the victims and getting counseling.

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