Man jailed after threatening juvenile with gun

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, October 5, 1999

Keith "Pit" Murray, 21 of Morristown, remains in jail after being arrested early today on second degree assault charges.

Tuesday, October 05, 1999

Keith "Pit" Murray, 21 of Morristown, remains in jail after being arrested early today on second degree assault charges.

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Also in custody is Kelly Jo Jannings, 23 of Austin, who faces drug possession charges.

According to an Austin Police Department report, Murray allegedly threatened a 17-year-old Austin juvenile female with a gun.

The following comes from Austin Police Department reports:

The incident allegedly occurred at 1:30 a.m. today along U.S. Highway 218 north of Austin and near the Lansing Corners Supper Club.

The victim of the alleged assault went to the Austin-Mower County law enforcement center and told Austin police officers, Murray pulled a pear-handled handgun, grabbed her hair and stuck the gun to her head, demanding money.

According to the victim’s story, Murray allegedly gave her over $4,000 in cash for safe-keeping two weeks ago, when they visited an Austin residence.

Apparently, the victim then gave the money to another party and when Murray went to retrieve it, a sum was missing.

When Jannings’ white Oldsmobile Bravada was spotted driving by the victim’s parents’ home early today, she followed it in her parents’ car to the location near Lansing Corners. The Jannings vehicle stopped and the victim stopped behind it and exited her parents’ car to talk to the driver of the white Oldsmobile Bravada. Unknown to her, Murray was in the vehicle and exited it and pulled the gun and grabbed her, demanding the rest of his money.

When cars drove up to the parked vehicles and headlights flashed on the pair, Murray returned to the Jannings’ vehicle and they drove away.

By the time the victim arrived at the LEC, eyewitnesses reported seeing an argument between an African-American male and a Caucasian girl along the roadside.

Because the Jannings vehicle was northbound on Highway 218, local authorities notified Steele County authorities to stop it and question the occupants.

The Steele County Sheriff’s Department stopped the vehicle in Owatonna and discovered the pearl-handled weapon Murray allegedly brandished.

A search of his female companion revealed a quantity of crack cocaine in her bra.

Both were jailed pending court appearancees.

The victim did not suffer injury when accosted along the highway, according to the report.