Minnesota attorney general assists on building homicide case

Published 9:50 am Tuesday, July 7, 2009

The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office will now assist Freeborn County prosecutors in handling the alleged murder of Jody Lee Morrow by her estranged boyfriend, Chad Jamie Gulbertson.

During a brief Rule 8 hearing for Gulbertson in Freeborn County District Court on Monday, Assistant Minnesota Attorney General Bill Klumpp appeared with Freeborn County Attorney Craig Nelson.

Freeborn County District Court Judge Steve Schwab said he received a certificate of representation from Klumpp in the case. Hereafter, Klumpp and Nelson’s staff will work together to represent the state.

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“This happens fairly frequently in rural communities where there’s not homicides that often,” Klumpp said after the hearing.

The state Attorney General’s Office has assisted the county attorney in other homicide cases in Freeborn County in the past, including the murder of Tammy Hughes in 2005, he said.

Klumpp noted he had not yet reviewed any police reports regarding this case, and the investigation is ongoing.

During the Monday hearing, Gulbertson, 37, charged with second- and third-degree murder in the case, appeared in custody with public defender Kevin Rhea. Rhea asked for a default omnibus hearing for his client and waived the right to a speedy trial.

Gulbertson is next scheduled to appear in court at 1 p.m. Aug. 17.

Morrow, 38, who had lived with Gulbertson off and on for 3 1/2 years, was found dead by authorities on June 21 insider her trailer at 730 Larimore Circle.

Before officers found her, Gulbertson reportedly came into the Law Enforcement Center on June 21 with a family member and told an officer he thought he killed his former girlfriend.

Local and state authorities have since been investigating the case.

A preliminary report from the Freeborn County medical examiner determined that Morrow’s death was caused by multiple blunt force injuries to her head with a hammer, according to the criminal complaint filed in court.