GrandJury Indictment Aaron Foster

2Nov07Twin Cities Article Comments About Time: 26 persons on Grand Jury must be protected from http://cityattorneys-copcorruption.blogspot.com http://minnesota-murders.blogspot.com 30 yrs ago Earl Gray sued our group Divorce REform Inc. for Unathorized Practice of Law: Gray's Deals with State & Fed Judges mandate a Special Judge convene so these Damn Deals must seize and desist http://sharon4council.blogspot.com triggers Criminal Indictments against the Mayor Chris Coleman, Fosters employer, Aaron Foster, complicit with City Attorneys,Council Enbanc re: Theft/Trespass/Towing of our CARS, then Foster parts themn out for Profit , Citys Illegal Ratification of Assessments TAXACTION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION , media coverup in Ward (2) Election concerning Police Impoundd Lot, etc.http://stpaulpolice-rico.blogspot.com
	Print Email Finney pal indicted in 1981 shooting death of Barbara Winn in Maplewood Close friend of retired St. Paul police chief suspected of slaying girlfriend; investigation reopened last year BY MARA H. GOTTFRIED Pioneer Press Article Last Updated: 11/02/2007 01:13:46 AM CDT More than a quarter century after Barbara Winn died in her Maplewood home, a grand jury indicted her boyfriend Thursday on a murder charge. A Ramsey County grand jury handed up a third-degree murder indictment against Aaron Foster Sr., a St. Paul police civilian employee. Foster, 55, was arrested after Winn died in 1981 but hadn't been charged. He claims Winn killed herself. The case became a political hot button last year during the race for Ramsey County sheriff between incumbent Bob Fletcher and retired St. Paul Police Chief Bill Finney. Finney and Foster are close friends, and Finney hired him to work for the police department. Winn's family had raised concerns about Finney's presence at Winn's autopsy and police reports indicating Finney, then a St. Paul police officer, witnessed Foster assaulting Winn in the past. Winn was 35 at the time of her death. Finney, who couldn't be reached for comment Thursday night, has said he did not act improperly. Fletcher's office reopened an investigation into the case last year. Finney questioned the timing given the election, though Fletcher said the move wasn't politically motivated. Fletcher went on to narrowly win the election. "It's about justice. It's not politics," Patty Bruce, Winn's sister-in-law, said Thursday. "We've been trying very, very hard to get people in our own community to see past the politics and to understand this is about a homicide and domestic violence." Ramsey County District Court officials notified the sheriff's office about 5:30 p.m. Thursday that a third-degree murder warrant for Foster's arrest had been issued, Fletcher said. At that point, sheriff's deputies began looking for Foster. About 6:30 p.m., Foster's attorney contacted the sheriff's office and offered to bring Foster in, Fletcher said. Foster turned himself in at the county jail at 7:45 p.m. Foster is expected to make his first court appearance, when bail will be set, this afternoon, said Earl Gray, Foster's attorney. Foster will plead not guilty, Gray said. "We'll let the judicial system take its course and at the end he'll be found not guilty," Gray said. "Just because someone's indicted doesn't mean anything. There's an old saying that if a prosecutor wants a ham sandwich indicted, he can get it done The Anoka County attorney's office had been reviewing the case since last year, when the Ramsey County attorney's office referred the case there to avoid a potential conflict of interest. Anoka County prosecutors told the Winn family in September that a Ramsey County grand jury would be convened to review the case. On May 8, 1981, Winn died of a gunshot wound. Her two sons, ages 12 and 15 at the time, told police they heard their mother and Foster arguing before the gun went off, according to the Maplewood police report. The boys told police they saw Foster running from the room where Winn was found dead, a police report said. Foster told police that when the gun went off, he was in another room downstairs, a police report said. Foster said he disposed of the handgun involved in Winn's death, but said she had asked him to do so after shooting herself, according to a police report. "There's nothing we can do about the years that have passed," Bruce said. "What's important now is that we are on what I call the second huge step toward justice for Barbara and that is the mere fact it's going through the justice system like it should have in 1981." Rediscovered autopsy photos and new gun tests bolstered evidence against Foster, Fletcher said earlier this year. The sheriff said testing concluded it would have been "nearly impossible" for Winn to have shot herself based on the bullet's path through her chest. He also said autopsy photos clearly showed Winn was beaten before she died. Foster, who works as a clerk at the St. Paul police impound lot, has been placed on administrative leave, according to a department spokesman. Mara H. Gottfried can be reached at mgottfried@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5262. Return to Top Comments The Pioneer Press is pleased to let readers post comments about an article at the end of the article. Please increase the credibility of your post by including your full name and city when commenting. Please note: It may take several minutes before your comment appears. Recent Comments Justice served! Certain St Paul Police Dept "jokers" need to list need to "man up"... If the boyfriend was argueing and ran from the bedroom after the... "What? know stupid race comments yet"Not yet "J" About Time: 26 persons on Grand Jury must be protected from... »Read More