The Murder of Officer Brian Klinefelter
For this case, I watched an episode of Dead of Winter. It’s season 2 episode 1, titled ‘As He Lay Frozen.’
A young police officer is killed after responding to an armed robbery.
Background
At the time of his death, Officer Brian Klinefelter was only 25-years-old. He had been a police officer for about 2 years, was married to his wife, Wendy, and had a three-month old daughter named Kaitlyn.
Brian was described as an amazing father. He often talked about what were to happen if he was killed while on duty. Wendy never took it seriously, because they lived in the small town of Stearns County, Minnesota. However, on one cold winter night, Brian crossed paths with the wrong people.
Brian Klinefelter
Brian with his daughter, Kaitlyn
The Robbery
On January 29, 1996, a Monday, Brian was working the late shift. He was expected to get home around 9pm.
Wendy heard a knock at the door. She thought it could have been Brian, and that maybe he had forgotten his keys. It wasn’t Brian, and she heard the sound of a police radio.
Wendy opened the door, and found police officers standing there. They told her that Brian had been shot. Wendy asked them if he was alive, but they didn’t give her a definitive answer.
One hour earlier, Ruth Tamm was working her usual night shift at a liquor store. She said it had been a slow night, until three individuals wearing ski masks entered. Ruth thought it was a joke, until the ringleader pointed a gun at her, and demanded the money from the store.
Ruth said she handed the man about $380. The man told Ruth to go into the back freezer, but Ruth said that she would freeze. The man and his accomplices then tied Ruth’s hands up, and left the store. Ruth was able to get the binding off her hands, walk to the phone, and call the police.
The Shooting
Local police officers were dispatched about the robbery. The individuals had been described as white males, wearing ski masks, driving an older model white pickup truck.
Brian responded to the call, and said he was behind the pickup truck. The dispatcher asked for the license plate number, but Brian said that there was too much snow covering it. Brian said he was going to pull the car over.
Robert Dickhaus, a Stearns County deputy, was close behind Brian. He arrived shortly after, but when he arrived, he saw Brian’s squad car, but the white pickup truck was gone. A 17-year-old woman had been the one to find Brian, but said that an older white pickup truck had just driven away.
Brian was lying on his back, and had been shot a total of 5 times. He had been shot in the chest, stomach and neck. Brian’s service weapon was found in his hand, and the blood from his wound was freezing due to the brutally cold temperatures.
The ambulance arrived. As they tried to lift Brian up, his head was stuck to the ground because it had frozen. After a few minutes, the first responders were able to load Brian into the ambulance. Brian passed away from his injuries as the hospital.
The Search
After law enforcements officers were notified that Brian had died, all parties were out searching for the white pickup truck.
A call from dispatch came in about the truck heading towards County Road 134. Jim Mortenson, an officer with the St. Cloud police was the closest officer. He spotted the truck, which was actually a newer model pickup truck, with three individuals inside. Officer Mortenson knew it was the truck because the license plate had been covered with snow.
The individuals knew that they were being followed. They eventually pulled over onto the shoulder, but soon pulled back out after about 15 seconds. Officer Mortenson believed it had been a trap, but he continued to follow them into a residential neighborhood. The three men then got out of the truck, and started to run.
The Kidnapping
Jim Mortenson said he was afraid that night until backup arrived. As soon as the backup arrived, a woman ran down the street towards them. She said a man had just kidnapped her husband.
Douglas Thomsen had been at home with his wife, when they heard a pounding at their door. An individual with a gun barged into their home, and demanded a vehicle.
Douglas said he handed over about three sets of keys for their vehicles. The man pointed his gun at Douglas, and told him that he was coming with him. Douglas said he had asked to grab a coat because of the freezing temperatures. The man said no.
Douglas drove, as the man sat in the backseat. There were police cars everywhere, but the man told Douglas he would shoot him if he did anything stupid.
After a few minutes of driving, the man told Douglas to pull over. He then told Douglas to get into the trunk. Douglas said he was in there for about 15 minutes, when the car suddenly stopped. He then heard a voice saying “drop the gun.”
A single gunshot was heard. Douglas pounded on the trunk, and was saved by police officers. The man that had been shot was his kidnapper, who was identified as Thomas Kantor, a 26-year-old. The shooting was ruled as a cop assisted suicide.
Douglas Thomsen after being saved by police
Arrests and Convictions
Thomas Kantor’s accomplices were eventually found, still on foot in the neighborhood that they had been followed into. They had been found hiding near an air conditioning unit under a deck.
They were identified as Michael Roering, 19, and Brian Ederhoff, 26. Thomas Kantor was the ringleader, and the one that had shot Brian Klinefelter.
Brian Ederhoff and Michael Roering were both charged with first degree murder, and sentenced to 19.5 years.
They were both released in 2009 after serving 13 years.
Roering, Kantor, and Ederhoff. (Bottom photo is of Ederhoff in a more recent photo after his release).
Other
Wendy remarried 4 years after Brian’s death, and said that she sees Brian in their daughter everyday.
FINAL THOUGHTS
My heart goes out to Wendy and Kaitlyn, and the rest of Brian’s loved ones. It’s clear that Wendy loved, and still loves Brian. Brian was only doing his job, but came across three monsters on that cold January night.
Thomas Kantor should be rotting in prison, but instead he didn’t serve anytime, and never gave any answers as to why he had to shoot Brian. The other two should have received longer sentences in my opinion.
Sources
https://www.odmp.org/officer/14716-police-officer-brian-david-klinefelter
https://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2016/01/28/night-so-cold/79018902/
https://wjon.com/st-joseph-cop-killed-while-on-duty-20-years-ago-today/
https://thenewsleaders.com/fallen-st-joe-officer-klinefelter-remembered/
