Charges filed against Minnetrista man in daughter's death

The Hennepin County Attorney's office Thursday charged a Minnetrista man with criminal vehicular homicide.

Jonathan Markle's infant daughter died when the car he was driving fell through a frozen lake last month.

According to the complaint, Markle, 41, was legally drunk when he drove his compact SUV carrying his wife and two children on Lake Minnetonka. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Markle tried frantically to free his nearly 9-month-old daughter from the submerged vehicle,

The felony charge is based partially on the evidence that Markle was impaired by alcohol, Freeman said.

"Criminal vehicular homicide is that you were driving an automobile in such a fashion, in a negligent and reckless manner as to cause the death of another," Freeman said. "One of the elements in that statute is that a person's blood alcohol level exceeded 0.08."

Freeman says Markle's blood alcohol level was 0.13 when it was measured two hours after the crash. Markle's attorney Joe Friedberg declined to comment.

"The criminal justice system simply has no penalty that can approach the grief and the agony this man must feel for the loss of his daughter at his own hand," Freeman said. But we do have a responsibility to do something about setting the pace and working with folks to say this kind of conduct is not acceptable."

Political Coverage Powered by You

Your gift today creates a more connected Minnesota. MPR News is your trusted resource for election coverage, reporting and breaking news. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.