Murder of Dru Sjodin

Dru Katrina Sjodin (September 26, 1981 – November 22, 2003) was an American murder victim. She was kidnapped from the Columbia Mall parking lot in Grand Forks, North Dakota by Alfonso Rodriguez Jr on November 22, 2003. Her kidnapping and murder caused the creation of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry.

Murder
At 4:00 pm Saturday, November 22, 2003, Sjodin, a 22-year-old college student at the University of North Dakota, finished her job shift at the Victoria's Secret store at the Columbia Mall in Grand Forks. Sjodin shopped for and bought a new purse from Marshall Field's. She then left the mall and began walking to her 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass. During this time, Sjodin was speaking to her boyfriend, Chris Lang, on her cell phone. Ten minutes into the call, Lang reports Sjodin said "Okay, okay" before the call ended.

Just over a week later, on December 1, 2003, 50-year-old registered sex offender Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. was arrested in connection with Sjodin's disappearance. Sjodin's body was found on April 17, 2004, just west of Crookston, Minnesota when deep snow drifts began to melt.

Crookston is also where Rodriguez had been living with his mother. Sjodin's body was found partially nude and face down in a ravine. Her hands were tied behind her back. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted and stabbed. She had several lacerations, including a five-and-a-half-inch cut near her neck. A rope was tied around her neck.

Thousands of people had helped search for the young woman. Hundreds went to her funeral.

Trial
The trial of Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. was held in federal court because Sjodin was taken across state lines. This meant he was eligible for the death penalty if he was found guilty. But neither North Dakota nor Minnesota have the death penalty. 

On August 30, 2006, Rodriguez was found guilty of sexual assault, kidnapping and murder in Sjodin's death. On September 22, 2006, Rodriguez was sentenced to death.

References

Category:People from North Dakota
Category:American murder victims
Category:1981 births
Category:2003 deaths
Category:2000s murders in the United States
Category:Violence against women
Category:Deaths by person in the United States