Investigators: Totem pole death not accident

Published 3:12 pm Thursday, June 9, 2011

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota man is facing extradition from Texas in the death of his wife that he attributed to a totem pole accident.

Carl Muggli told police he and Linda Muggli were carving a totem pole in their garage near International Falls last November when it fell out of its cradle and onto his wife, killing her. The couple operated a totem pole business.

Muggli moved to Stockdale, Texas after his wife’s death and continued to operate the totem pole business. But, investigators say they later discovered romantic Facebook messages between Carl Muggli and another woman that were sent before Linda Muggli died.

Email newsletter signup

Prosecutors in Koochiching County have filed second-degree murder charges against Muggli, who was arrested in Texas earlier this week.