By Jason Schoonover and Jenae Hackensmith

Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi has confirmed that the investigation at a South Main Street Austin residence Thursday was tied to the David Madison homicide case.

Although she has not been able to release much information about the investigation, she did say there is no threat to public safety as of Friday morning.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrived at a home on the 400 block of South Main Street around noon Thursday, and were there until at least 7 p.m. The BCA was gone as of this morning, and the home was no longer blocked off with police tape.

A BCA crime scene unit entered the house around 2:30 p.m. BCA investigators later took measurements and photographs outside the property. They also collected evidence from a trash bin.

Earlier Thursday, the Mower County Sheriff’s Office had blocked off a home at the corner of Eighth Street Northeast and Third Avenue Northeast. Amazi also confirmed the two homes are related to the case. Police left that home last night.

Austin Police Department officers and Mower County deputies were also working on the scene, and Amazi said it’s normal to have all three entities working together. The BCA handles evidence processing for Mower County.

Amazi said more information will follow as the active investigation continues.

 

The Madison homicide case

Madison, 39, was found in the Cedar River along Highway 105 Sunday, and a medical examiner ruled his death a homicide early this week.

Deputies received a call at about 11:30 a.m. Sunday to report a body found in the Cedar River, about halfway between County Road 4 and County Road 5 on the east side of the road. Madison was found by three people heading to a popular fishing spot to go fishing on private property.

Madison was found fully clothed about 10 feet from shore in about 3 feet of water, and he appears to have been in the water at least overnight, according to Amazi.

Deputies have not said if Madison was killed at the river or if he was placed there later. They have not released how he was killed.

Madison’s car was recovered Monday at a residence he was staying at on the 2000 block of Fifth Avenue Northeast in Austin, which was marked off with crime scene tape for several hours Monday and had a squad car outside the residence.

The sheriff’s office narrowed down the last time Madison was seen alive to between 10 and 11:30 p.m. on Saturday in the downtown Austin area.