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July 30 2021 Pennington County Reinbold Complaint
July 30 2021 Pennington County Reinbold Complaint
State of Minnesota
7/30/2021
State of Minnesota District Court
County of Pennington 9th Judicial District
Prosecutor File No. 21-600-78
Court File No. 57-CR-21-506
State of Minnesota, COMPLAINT
Plaintiff, Warrant
vs.
ERIC JAMES REINBOLD DOB: 08/29/1976
10583 340th Avenue SE
Oklee, MN 56742
Defendant.
The Complainant submits this complaint to the Court and states that there is probable cause to believe
Defendant committed the following offense(s):
COUNT I
Charge: Murder in the Second Degree - Intentional Murder
Minnesota Statute: 609.19.1(1), with reference to: 609.19.1
Maximum Sentence: 40 years
Offense Level: Felony
Offense Date (on or about): 07/09/2021
Control #(ICR#): 21002539
Charge Description: It is alleged that on or about July 9, 2021 in Pennington County, Minnesota that ERIC
JAMES REINBOLD did willfully, unlawfully and intentionally caused the death of L.R. with the intent to
effect the death of L.R., but without premeditation.
COUNT II
Charge: Murder in the Second Degree
Minnesota Statute: 609.19.2(1), with reference to: 609.19.2(1)
Maximum Sentence: 40 years
Offense Level: Felony
Offense Date (on or about): 07/09/2021
Control #(ICR#): 21002539
Charge Description: It is alleged that on or about July 9, 2021 in Pennington County, Minnesota that ERIC
JAMES REINBOLD did cause the death of L.R., without the intent to effect the death of L.R., while
committing or attempting to commit a felony offense other than criminal sexual conduct in the first or
second degree with force or violence or a drive-by shooting, specifically while committing second degree
assault.
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57-CR-21-506 Filed in District Court
State of Minnesota
STATEMENT OF PROBABLE CAUSE 7/30/2021
On July 9, 2021, at about 9:15 am, EMT’s responded to 10583 340th Ave SE, Oklee, Pennington County,
Minnesota, on a report of an unresponsive female.
When they reached the driveway, the EMTs encountered a boy on a bike who said his mom was laying on
the ground and he was going to get his step-dad, later identified as defendant Eric Reinbold, from his
camper down the road. The EMTs continued driving down the driveway and saw another boy standing
outside the residence. One EMT saw an adult female, later identified as L.R., laying on the ground near a
vehicle. An EMT noticed dirt on L.R.’s face and flies on her. The EMTs radioed that they were on scene and
requested law enforcement. An EMT noticed a puncture wound on her neck, near her jaw, blood, a cell
phone wedged under a tire, and L.R.’s sandals were off and a little way from L.R.’s body.
Another EMT spoke to the boy at the residence who said he did not know what happened. He last saw his
mother, L.R., the night before and he knew she was going to work around 8 am that morning. In a
subsequent interview, the boy said he woke up around 8 or 8:30 am that morning and saw that his mother’s
vehicle was still there. He looked outside and saw his mother laying by the vehicle, his mother’s face and
hands had blood on them. One of them called their grandfather, who in turn called 911. Sometime after that,
the boy’s brother left to go to the defendant’s camper and then the ambulance arrived.
Law enforcement officers arrived and learned that three children, including the boy that rode down from the
residence on his bike, were also at the defendant’s camper, which was located about ½ mile from the
residence. Officers found three children inside the camper, but the defendant was not there. Subsequent
interviews of the two children who spent the night in the camper with the defendant revealed that when they
woke up the morning of July 9, the defendant was gone. One child reported waking up around 6 or 7 am to
go to the bathroom and the defendant was gone. The other child reported that she last saw the defendant
around 9 or 10 pm the night before. Neither child knew where the defendant went or his current location.
One of the children reported last seeing their mother, L.R., crying, and that the defendant thought her
mother was cheating on him and that made him mad.
Law enforcement officers found the defendant’s phone, obtained a search warrant, and downloaded its
contents. Exchanges between L.R. and the defendant revealed tension in their relationship at times and
attempts of trying to reconcile at other times going back to March 2021.
Exchanges between the defendant and L.R. from June 25 to July 7, 2021, shows the defendant accusing
L.R. of being unfaithful, demanding sex from her, and fighting over finances.
Exchanges between the defendant and L.R. on July 8, 2021, again revealed the defendant questioning
whether L.R. was being faithful to him with L.R. responding that it is all in his head. The defendant continues
pressuring L.R. for sex with L.R. resisting because to their children, and her children from a previous
relationship, were currently staying at the residence. During this exchange, the defendant wrote, “I am
getting worked up because u appear to be lying to me in various ways” and L.R. denied lying to him. L.R.
pointed out that his constant texting was not healthy for a marriage. L.R. reminded the defendant that he
punched and choked her in 2015. The defendant continued to pressure L.R. about sex, including claiming
ownership over a part of L.R.’s body. During the exchange, L.R. writes, “I’ve been waiting to hear why u
kicked me punched me and choked me.” Later in the exchange, the defendant wanted L.R. to quit her job,
which she refused to do. L.R. wrote that she cried on the drive home and could not go inside the house until
she stopped crying so the kids would not see her.
The defendant then asked her if she called the police and told her to not threaten him with probation. The
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57-CR-21-506 Filed in District Court
State of Minnesota
defendant also wrote, “But divorcing our sex life is unacceptable.” L.R. informed the defendant that kids7/30/2021
were going to have supper and she was then going to bed. The defendant continued to pressure her for
sex.
The defendant later came to take two of the children with him back to the camper. There were no more
exchanges between the defendant and L.R. after that.
Law enforcement officers spoke to one of L.R.’s friends, who reported that L.R. sent the friend and the
friend’s sister a video via Messenger at 6:36 am on July 9, 2021. The friend said that she sent L.R. a
“What’s Up” message at 7:26 that morning, but L.R. never opened the message. The friend knew that L.R.
starts work at 8 am. Law enforcement officers later confirmed that she was scheduled to start work at 8 am
in Thief River Falls. The distance between the residence and Thief River Falls is around 23 miles.
An autopsy conducted on July 10, 2021, revealed that L.R. suffered multiple sharp force injuries to her
neck, torso, and upper extremities. The medical examiner provisionally determined cause of to be
exsanguination due to multiple sharp force injuries due to assault and the manner of death to be homicide.
The defendant was not located on the property and at the time of filing this complaint, a manhunt is
underway because of a federal arrest warrant for violating his conditions of supervision. The defendant is
under federal supervision for a December 2018 conviction for Possession of Unregistered Destructive
Devices where he stashed pipe bombs on family property and law enforcement officers later found
materials associated with those pipe bombs at the defendant’s residence in October and November 2017.
The defendant absconded around the time his residence was searched as part of that investigation, and
he was arrested sometime later in Kansas with cash and camping equipment. The defendant was
convicted, sent to prison, and was released to be under supervision for three years.
On June 11, 2015, Pennington County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a domestic situation at the same
address. When a deputy arrived, the defendant was hiding in the nearby woods and would not agree to
come out if he had to put his weapon down.
A witness to the domestic situation explained seeing L.R.’s vehicle parked with the defendant’s parked
against it. The witness saw L.R. try to back away when the defendant jumped into his pickup and rammed
L.R.’s vehicle three or four times. The witness saw L.R. then drive away as the witness was attempting to
call 911.
A subsequent interview with L.R. revealed that she attempted to leave with two children and the defendant
blocked her vehicle, yelling at her to get back inside the house. L.R. saw the defendant possessed a black
handgun. When she attempted to back up the defendant’s pickup, the defendant repeatedly rammed her
vehicle, with the children inside. She was able to escape a short time later.
The defendant was not apprehended that night and a warrant was issued for his arrest, charging him with
three separate counts of felony Second-Degree Assault. On September 30, 2016, the defendant pled guilty
to one count of Second-Degree Assault and an amended count of Endangerment of Child By Firearm
Access, and he was placed on probation for up to five years. The defendant subsequently violated his
probation within a year by possessing pipe bombs and materials to make pipe bombs, leaving the state
(arrested in Kansas) without his agent’s permission, possessing ammunition, and possessing materials on
how to make Nitroglycerin, gun powder, and how to conduct road-side bombings.
A nation-wide arrest warrant is requested due to the defendant’s whereabouts being unknown.
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57-CR-21-506 Filed in District Court
State of Minnesota
SIGNATURES AND APPROVALS 7/30/2021
Complainant requests that Defendant, subject to bail or conditions of release, be:
(1) arrested or that other lawful steps be taken to obtain Defendant's appearance in court; or
(2) detained, if already in custody, pending further proceedings; and that said Defendant otherwise
be dealt with according to law.
Complainant declares under penalty of perjury that everything stated in this document is true and
correct. Minn. Stat. § 358.116; Minn. R. Crim. P. 2.01, subds. 1, 2.
Being authorized to prosecute the offenses charged, I approve this complaint.
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57-CR-21-506 Filed in District Court
State of Minnesota
FINDING OF PROBABLE CAUSE 7/30/2021
From the above sworn facts, and any supporting affidavits or supplemental sworn testimony, I, the Issuing Officer, have
determined that probable cause exists to support, subject to bail or conditions of release where applicable, Defendant’s arrest
or other lawful steps be taken to obtain Defendant’s appearance in court, or Defendant’s detention, if already in custody,
pending further proceedings. Defendant is therefore charged with the above-stated offense(s).
SUMMONS
THEREFORE YOU, THE DEFENDANT, ARE SUMMONED to appear as directed in the Notice of Hearing before the
above-named court to answer this complaint.
IF YOU FAIL TO APPEAR in response to this SUMMONS, a WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST shall be issued.
X WARRANT
To the Sheriff of the above-named county; or other person authorized to execute this warrant: I order, in the name of the State
of Minnesota, that the Defendant be apprehended and arrested without delay and brought promptly before the court (if in
session), and if not, before a Judge or Judicial Officer of such court without unnecessary delay, and in any event not later than
36 hours after the arrest or as soon as such Judge or Judicial Officer is available to be dealt with according to law.
X This warrant may be executed at any time of the day or night and on Sundays or legal holidays.
ORDER OF DETENTION
Since the Defendant is already in custody, I order, subject to bail or conditions of release, that the Defendant continue to be
detained pending further proceedings.
Bail: $
Conditions of Release:
This complaint, duly subscribed and sworn to or signed under penalty of perjury, is issued by the undersigned Judicial Officer
as of the following date: July 30, 2021.
Sworn testimony has been given before the Judicial Officer by the following witnesses:
COUNTY OF PENNINGTON
STATE OF MINNESOTA
State of Minnesota
Plaintiff LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER RETURN OF SERVICE
I hereby Certify and Return that I have served a copy of this Warrant
vs. upon the Defendant herein named.
Signature of Authorized Service Agent:
Eric James Reinbold
Defendant
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57-CR-21-506 Filed in District Court
State of Minnesota
DEFENDANT FACT SHEET 7/30/2021
Name: Eric James Reinbold
DOB: 08/29/1976
Address: 10583 340th Avenue SE
Oklee, MN 56742
Alias Names/DOB:
SID: 355098MF4
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 170lbs.
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color:
Gender: MALE
Race: White
Fingerprints Required per Statute: Yes
Fingerprint match to Criminal History Record: No
Driver's License #:
Alcohol Concentration:
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57-CR-21-506 Filed in District Court
State of Minnesota
STATUTE AND OFFENSE GRID 7/30/2021
Cnt Statute Offense Statute Nbrs and Descriptions Offense MOC GOC Controlling Case
Nbr Type Date(s) Level Agencies Numbers