Posted: 5/1/2010 4:45:07 AM EDT
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http://www.twincities.com/ci_14995681
A day after Minneapolis tattoo parlor owner Trace Maxwell went on a rage-fueled, methodical rampage that left three people dead and another grievously wounded, police in three cities tried to unscramble what connected the man to his victims. Maxwell would be of no help; he killed himself as a Minneapolis police detective pleaded with him over the phone to turn himself in. His death left investigators with the suspicion they may never know what led to his murderous tear. "That's the question of the day. Everyone wants to know what was the precipitating event, what was the trigger," said Minneapolis police Capt. Amelia Huffman. "There's a certain amount of this that's going to remain speculative. It's very tough. We're trying to fill in the picture around the edges." The portrait that emerges from interviews and court records is unflattering. Maxwell, 40, was a man almost always in trouble with the law, an abusive partner who struck fear in others, a defendant who ignored court orders to undergo anger-management counseling. "When I heard about it, it was no surprise to me," said one woman who had had a relationship with Maxwell and didn't want her name published. "It wasn't if this was going to happen, it was when. It was not a shock at all, because I've been trying to put all that behind me. "Anything could set him off," she said. Bloomington police detective Ed Hanson, the only cop who ever put Maxwell in prison, said the man was one of perhaps two or three true sociopaths he's encountered in his three decades as a police officer. "He was a bad guy then, and you knew you hadn't heard the end of him," said Hanson. "You see those people and you know something is wrong with the way that they think and the way that they act." That 1997 case, a charge of criminal damage to property, contained elements that presaged Thursday's killings: Late-night rage, violence toward someone he knew, threats of committing even more crime. "He was a loose cannon that they should've put away a long time ago," said one man, a friend since childhood, who refused to allow his name to be published because he feared Maxwell's family. "This is a person who has done whatever ... he's wanted for all these years." Police from Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park and Inver Grove Heights were conferring Friday in an attempt to piece together Trace Maxwell's last day of violence. They were also trying to figure out precisely what linked Maxwell to the victims. One peculiar aspect: Maxwell was black and all his victims were white. In 1997, Maxwell's then-estranged wife (they later divorced) told police that he had left threatening messages on her answering machine saying, "he was done with all white people." He left similar threats on her parents' phone. Asked if there may have been a racial component to Maxwell's actions, Huffman replied, "I haven't heard anything about that particular aspect of it." Maxwell's burst of violence began about 2:39 a.m. Thursday when he went to the North Minneapolis home of his girlfriend, Amy Terborg, 28, and her roommate, Gina Fredrickson, 20. He shot them both; Terborg, struck by gunfire several times, died at the scene. Fredrickson, who Huffman said had also been romantically involved with Maxwell at some point, called 911. She was reported in serious condition Friday at Hennepin County Medical Center. Maxwell then drove 13 miles north to the Brooklyn Park home of Jason Wesley Rand, 38, who operated Accent Roofing & Remodeling. He fatally shot him several times. Huffman said Maxwell and Rand had "a social and business relationship" that involved some black market dealings. Maxwell then drove 33 miles to the secluded Inver Grove Heights home of Bryan Andrew Fisher, 46, and shot him dead. Fisher was co-founder and chief executive of Excel Manufacturing, a company in St. Charles that makes baling machines for the recycling industry. His body was discovered about 1 p.m. But hours before that, Minneapolis police had reached Maxwell on his cell phone. They feared he might go after others. "We were trying very much to find a way to convince him to end this peacefully, without anyone else getting hurt or without him getting hurt," Huffman said. The conversations led to a police pursuit — top speeds were about 30 mph — down busy East Lake Street in morning rush-hour traffic. "He did not want to turn himself in," said Huffman. "He reached the point where he said he had come to a decision about what had to happen." At that point, shortly after 7 a.m., the detective heard what sounded like a gunshot. The red SUV slowed, veered out of its lane and came to rest against the retaining wall of a service station at Lake and 17th Avenue South. Minneapolis police investigators confirmed Friday night that the Glock pistol found in the vehicle was used in each of the killings Thursday. Maxwell, who also went by the name Trace Henry, had a lengthy criminal history. Since 1989, he'd had more than 20 criminal cases filed against him for drug possession, assault, theft, driving under the influence, disorderly conduct, fleeing a police officer and other offenses. His most recent case was a May 2007 conviction for fifth-degree drug possession in Benton County. He was placed on electronic home monitoring for 20 days and given five years' supervised probation. Despite his convictions, Maxwell's only prison stint started in January 2000, when he began serving a 15-month sentence for felony damage to property. He'd been placed on probation on the charge in 1998, but it was revoked because, during a five-month period, he racked up two DUIs and a conviction for obstructing the legal process and had failed to attend court-ordered anger-management counseling. The felony damage-to-property charge stemmed from an incident in September 1997 in which Maxwell trashed the apartment he shared with his then-wife. He had threatened to do it earlier after the woman told Maxwell she was tired of his physical and verbal abuse and wanted a divorce. He made good on his threat, and the register of the damage was long and disturbing. Maxwell destroyed her 52-inch television. He slashed her leather couch and poured bleach on it. He broke virtually everything else. He piled her clothes on the floor and defecated on them, then smeared feces on other clothes. He urinated on the walls and floor. When he was done, he put the stopper in the bathtub and turned on the water. The apartment was flooded. Afterward, Maxwell left a message on the woman's parents' phone and "stated that this ... is for all you white people and that he was done with white bitches," Hanson wrote in his Bloomington police report. He was charged in October 1997 and pleaded guilty just over a year later. Aside from showing his intimidation and threats, the court file of the case also discloses something else about Maxwell: Faced with someone more powerful, he was a meek man of few words. At his sentencing hearing, he uttered two words. When the judge asked him if there was anything he would like to say, Maxwell replied, "Nothing." Moments later, after the judge sentenced him to 15 months in prison but stayed the execution for five years, he asked Maxwell if he had any questions. "No," the defendant said. His attorney assured the judge that Maxwell knew the consequences of violating the terms of his probation, saying, "Should he screw up he will certainly be back in court on a revocation and he understands that if that is the case he would likely to go prison." Within a year, that is what happened. His probation was revoked and he went to prison on Feb. 2, 2000. Six months and 20 days later — with credit for time spent waiting in jail — he was released. Hanson was asked to describe Maxwell's character. "Character? There was none," he said. Minneapolis police have asked that anyone with information about the killings call 612-692-TIPS. Fred Melo contributed to this story. David Hanners can be reached at 612-338-6516. |
Went to high school with the victim (Amy) who was shot and killed in N.MPLS. Nice girl who apparently made some poor choices, very unfortunate. Last time I talked to her was about a year ago, we caught up and it seemed like she was doing well for herself. Very sad 
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Went to high school with the victim (Amy) who was shot and killed in N.MPLS. Nice girl who apparently made some poor choices, very unfortunate. Last time I talked to her was about a year ago, we caught up and it seemed like she was doing well for herself. Very sad Sorry to hear that, really bad deal... |
so i went to a bonfire last night to have some beers and meet with some friends, apparently my friends know a guy who lives at the house the inver grove heights murder took place. straight from the guys mouth...... he came home, and found broken glass. he cleaned up the mess. then he found two empty bullet cases and cleaned them up, didnt think much of it, because the homeowner / room mate was so fucking nuts, he figured the guy got pissed off and started shooting his own house up. 
long story short, this has ALOT to do with escorts ( prostitutes ) and the black guy ( shooter ) was apparently pissed cause his ex GF was doing so, ( escorting for the victim ) the IGH homeowner was nailing escorts ( inherited family money, rather than get married he would rather just date and plow escorts for the cost ) so... this is all from the room mate who found the guys body... take it for what its worth........ dont hold me to this- they all got the same story from the guy, and even the bartender there said the victim was a regular and was involved in some shady shit............ |