Bond of $1 million was set today for four suspects in Friday’s double homicide at the Downtown Motel in Austin.

Wednesday, July 05, 2000

Bond of $1 million was set today for four suspects in Friday’s double homicide at the Downtown Motel in Austin.

The fifth suspect, a teen-ager with no criminal record who was arrested in connection with the murders of two St. Paul roofers, is being held under $200,000 bond.

It took District Judge Donald E. Rysavy 20 minutes to process the five defendants making their first appearance today.

Heavy security surrounded the appearance in court.

Vernon Neal Powers, Jr., 27, St. Paul, Scott Perry Christian, 29, St. Paul, his brother David Kenneth Christian, 28, St. Paul, and Jenea Larae-Nichol Weinand, 19, St. Paul, each were charged with two serious felony counts of aiding and abetting murder in the second degree and one count of aiding and abetting aggravated robbery in the first degree.

Mower County Third Judicial District Judge Rysavy set their bail at $1 million each after County Attorney Patrick A. Oman described each as a flight risk.

The fifth suspect and last to appear before Rysavy today was Janet Elizabeth Hall, 19, South Minneapolis.

Hall also was charged with two serious felony counts of aiding and abetting murder in the second degree and one count of aiding and abetting aggravated robbery in the first degree. Hall was the only suspect to show any emotion, periodically sobbing and responding to the judge’s queries in a soft voice.

Because Hall has no prior criminal record, the county attorney asked for $200,000 bond for the fifth suspect and the judge complied.

Formal arraignment was scheduled for 3:30 p.m. July 18.

Austin Police Chief Paul M. Philipp with a portable metal detector and Police Lt. Glenn Thaisen provided security as news reporters arrived early for the 9 a.m. court appearance.

The five suspects were escorted from the Mower County Jail, where they have been housed since their arrests last Friday, by three Austin detectives, Tom Stiehm, Dave Schaefer and Brian Krueger.

They wore orange jail coveralls, white socks and sandals. The three male suspects also had shackles at their ankles. All five wore wrist shackles.

Weinand, the first to appear before Rysavy, showed some defiance when she corrected the birthdate on the criminal complaint and told the judge, "I got my own attorney."

Scott Perry Christian and David Kenneth Christian and Hall asked for public defenders. Powers, like Weinand, also has retained his own attorney.

Only Hall has no prior criminal record, according to Oman. The other four suspects all have criminal records.

"Mr. Powers has a rather extensive criminal history," Oman told the court. "He has also served time in prison."

When Oman requested bail be set at $1 million, Powers told the court, "There’s no way I can make a million dollars bail."

David Kenneth Christian’s prior criminal history includes second- and third-degree assault, felony possession of weapons and controlled substance crime convictions.

Scott Perry Christian’s prior criminal history includes robbery and controlled substance crime convictions and he also has served time in prison.

Juan Vincente Ramirez, 41, and Raul Pedro Guiterrez, 26, were shot and killed in Room 28 at the Downtown Motel, 209 First Ave. SE in the early morning hours on Friday.

Benjamin Moreno Hernandez, 20, suffered gunshot wounds to both hands and is recovering from his injuries at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester.

The three men, all described as St. Paul roofers who came to Austin early last week to look for work, were staying in Room 28 with another man and a 14-year-old boy, who both escaped injury.

According to law enforcement officials, hours before the shooting, Ramirez visited a prostitute staying in a neighboring room at the Downtown Motel.

He took money kept wrapped inside a red bandana handkerchief to pay the prostitute for sex. As much as $8,900 may have been in Ramirez’s handkerchief.

Ramirez returned to Room 28 and fell asleep with the other four occupants of the room.

About 2:10 a.m. Friday, a woman knocked on the door of the roofers’ motel room. When the woman was allowed in the room, two masked men burst inside brandishing handguns.

The men were awakened and told the intruders they had no money when it was demanded.

It is unclear, either a movement by one of the victims or their yelling for help may have precipitated the gunmen firing their weapons.

The suspects fled in a 1999 Dodge Durango, which was traced within the next 12 hours to a St. Paul location where it was stopped and the occupants taken into custody for questioning.

The five suspects and their vehicle apparently arrived in Austin on June 26 and checked into the Downtown Motel with the purpose of the two women working as prostitutes in Austin.

If convicted of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, the maximum penalty is 40 years in prison. If convicted of aiding and abetting first-degree aggravated robbery, the maximum penalty is 20 years in prison or a $35,000 fine or both.