May 23rdFinal Appeal for Alfonso Rodriguez

She was murdered almost 10 years ago, kidnapped from Columbia Mall in Grand Forks, her body recovered the following spring near Crookston.

Now the man convicted of killing 22 year old Dru Sjodin, Alphonso Rodriguez Jr., is back in court awaiting the outcome of the final step in the appeals process, even as he awaits capital punishment on death row in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The case continues to be heard by US District Judge and Thief River Falls Native, Ralph Erickson, who this week told prosecutors he was puzzled by the reluctance of the Defense Team to turn over notes from doctors who recently interviewed Rodriguez as part of the appeals process, now being argued as a habeas corpus motion, considered the ultimate end of the appeals process.

Defense Attorneys claim Rodriguez was insane, suffering post traumatic stress disorder from childhood sexual abuse and was not mentally able to under stand his own wrong-doing when he raped, beat and stabbed Sjodin and left her body in a ravine in Polk County.

Judge Erickson Thursday took the motion under advisement ..

At the time of Sjodin’s death, Rodriguez was a convicted felony who had previously served time for Sexual Assault. The case led to the creation of “Dru’s Law”, which set up the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry, signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2 thousand 6.