Thursday, March 12, 2009

No Charges For Gagne

Rochelle Olson of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has the end results of the investigation into a death caused by pro wrestling legend Verne Gagne.

No charges will be filed against Verne Gagne, the Minnesota wrestling legend who has been implicated in the beating death of a 97-year-old man at the Bloomington care facility where the two men resided, the Hennepin County Attorney’s office announced at 3 p.m. today.

County Attorney Mike Freeman called the news conference at which the announcement was made. Representatives of the county medical examiner’s office and Bloomington police also were scheduled to be there.

Helmut Gutmann, 97, died February 14 of complications from injuries inflicted by Gagne during the attack January 26 at the memory-loss unit of Friendship Village. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.

Police investigated the death, and their report to the county attorney was expected this week.

Most observers thought charges unlikely because both Gagne, 82, and Gutmann had Alzheimer’s disease, which affects judgment and memory.

A portion of the police report, revealed Tuesday in a search warrant obtained for taking photos and collecting records at Friendship Village, said that Gutmann died in an “unprovoked attack” during which he was “grabbed, shaken and thrown to the ground” by Gagne.

The warrant added that Gagne had assaulted fellow Friendship Village residents at least twice in five months before the altercation with Gutmann.

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