Nov 3, 2008 6:54 pm US/Central
3 Charged With Murder, Plot To Kill Relative
ANOKA, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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Kristina Dorniden, Andrew Hawes and Elizabeth Hawes are charged with plotting against and killing Edwin Hawes.
Anoka County
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The Anoka County Sheriff's Office said Edwin Charles Hawes, 46, was murdered.
CBS
Three people are charged in the murder of an Andover man -- whose torso was found burning in a bonfire.
The body of 46-year-old Edwin Hawes was discovered last week when authorities found the suspects tending the bonfire.
On Monday, Anoka County prosecutors charged 43-year-old Elizabeth Hawes, of Minneapolis, and 36-year-old Andrew Hawes, of Robbinsdale, on Monday with aiding and abetting second-degree murder in the death of their brother. Also charged was 29-year-old Kristina Dorniden, of Westbrook, who was Andrew Hawes' girlfriend.
Friends of Edwin Hawes said they were worried this day would come. For years he had been telling them that his younger brother and sister were planning to kill him. Police said last week, they finally followed through.
"This one is unusual in that there appears to have been a lot of planning on the part of these co-defendants," said Lt. Paul Sommer.
According to details released on Monday, a pool of blood was discovered in Edwin Hawes driveway last Thursday, and Hawes roommate told police he had not heard from him in a couple days. Later that day, authorities said the Hawes siblings and Dorniden were tending a bonfire on the girlfriend's property in southwestern Minnesota when officers arrived. They doused the fire and found the torched torso.
A medical examiner matched the body to Edwin Hawes through dental records, and also discovered a wound in the chest caused by an arrow.
"The plan by the defendants was to murder Edwin with a crossbow and then dispose of his body," said Sommer. The medical examiner also found trauma to the victim's skull and brain.
Police said they found a crossbow along with a bloody hammer and a baseball bat, all painted black. They were able to link all the weapons to the defendants.
"It appears they had a complex plan set in place. Their practice for putting it into play was pretty flawed though," said Sommer.
The criminal complaints allege the Hawes siblings had been talking about killing their brother for a while. Elizabeth Hawes had been barred by a restraining order from being at the victim's home. Authorities say the bad blood stemmed from Edwin Hawes' distribution of an inheritance from their grandmother.
Each of the defendants appeared in Anoka County Court on Monday and all reacted differently. Andrew Hawes remained very stoic. His sister Elizabeth Hawes seemed almost complacent and lacked emotion while Kristina Dorniden was very emotional, crying during the proceeding and frequently looking over at family members who were in the courtroom.
Right now, if convicted, the defendants would face up to 40 years in prison. As details emerge, Sommer said the county attorney can change those charges.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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