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Apr 12, 2007 8:09 pm US/Central
Death Still Causing Controversy 25 Years Later
by Esme Murphy
(WCCO)
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Barbara Winn was found shot to death in her St. Paul home in May, 1981.
CBS
The death of a Maplewood woman more than 25 years ago continues to be a center of bitter debate and controversy.
Police originally ruled Barbara Winn's death a suicide.
Winn was found shot to death in her St. Paul home in May, 1981.
The gun used belonged to her live-in boyfriend.
He was arrested, but later released when police determined they did not have enough evidence to charge him.
However, the Ramsey County Sheriff now thinks there is enough evidence to charge him and the sheriff thinks prosecutors are not being aggressive enough with the case.
Thursday, with Winn's Family by his side, Sheriff Bob Fletcher accused the Anoka County Attorney of dragging his feet on the case and failing to charge Winn's boyfriend
"We are befuddled as to why they haven't pressed. Clearly there are options -- its either lack of competency, lack of caring, lack of making it a priority," said Fletcher.
Family members insist Barbara was not suicidal and that it was murder.
"We know that the evidence in this case is overwhelming," said Patty Bruce, Barbara Winn's sister-in-law.
For Barbara Winn's family this case will always be about the loss of her life, but for others this case is also about something more political -- charges of corruption.
Fletcher's office reopened the case last fall in the middle of his heated reelection campaign against former St. Paul Police Chief Bill Finney.
Finney was a St. Paul police officer in 1981 and was a friend of Winn's boyfriend. On Thursday, Winn's family blamed Finney for protecting her boyfriend at the time.
"I think that there's just a lot of influence that Finney still has," said one person who knew Winn.
Finney said he has no influence over the current investigation.
Finney said he is "cooperating fully with the Anoka County Attorney" and that the "the sheriff is using the Winn family for his own political gain."
Bob Johnson, the Anoka county attorney, said he "just got the complete case last month" and that Fletcher has personally been to see him twice about the case and he finds the Sheriff's level of interest in the case "amazing."
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