ROCHESTER, Minn. – Three people facing second-degree murder charges in connection to the shooting death of Brandon Arndt were allegedly involved after Arndt’s neighbor and a relative of those accused suffered from a severe medical condition.
Speaking Monday, Rochester police laid out what they believe to be the motive in a case that had been under investigation since early September. Kielah Parsons, Malcolm Woods and Darien Kristopher Klindworth-Woods are facing second-degree murder charges.
Authorities say at around 2 p.m. Sept. 9, an elderly female who lived next to Arndt had a life-threatening medical condition. On Sept. 8, police said Arndt had heard the woman crying for help and he gave her water and medicine and offered to call 911. The woman declined calling 911, authorities said.
Police say family members were upset and thought Arndt had something to do with her medical condition.
Surveillance video from convenience stores, residences, downtown and St. Mary’s hospital led police to believe that some of the family members left the hospital around 3 a.m. the morning of the murder.
Parsons, Woods and Klindworth-Woods are all grandchildren of the medical victim.
Klindworth-Woods was taken into custody in north Mankato, Parsons was located during a traffic stop on 4th St. and 3rd Ave. SE. in Rochester. Woods was located walking in the 2300 block of Valleyhigh Dr. NW. on Friday afternoon.
Woods was found with a 9mm handgun, which police said was not the murder weapon.
Based on statements, police said Klindworth-Woods drove the vehicle near the residence and Woods was the shooter. Authorities said Parsons was present and aware of what was happening and that she went into a convenience store to get plastic bags used by Woods to cover his shoes.
According to court documents, a .40 caliber casing was found in the trailer located at 1915 Marion Rd. SE. in the early-morning hours of Sept. 10. Police say that gun was later sold in Mankato.
Police said prior to Arndt’s murder that 5-6 people allegedly showed up at his trailer and confronted him about giving the elderly woman illegal drugs.
Arndt was killed the next morning. Surveillance video footage near the crime scene showed one male with plastic bags on his feet and hands running from the scene.
The $5,000 reward offered in the case has not been released to anyone.