Suspect charged in Cathedral Hill homicide

St. Paul shooting
St. Paul police respond to a fatal shooting in one of the offices above restaurant W.A. Frost & Company in St. Paul Thursday.
Aaron Lavinsky | Star Tribune via AP

Updated: 5:50 p.m. | Posted: 6:57 a.m.

Ryan David Petersen, the man suspected in killing a young law clerk in an office on Cathedral Hill has been charged with second-degree murder, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office said Friday.

Petersen, 37, allegedly killed Chase Passauer, 23, of Minneapolis, in law offices above the W.A. Frost & Company restaurant, according to the complaint filed by the Ramsey County Attorney's Office.

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Petersen had fired his attorney Thursday afternoon by text message and demanded his money back. But the attorney "was in court at the time of the messages and could not respond," according to the complaint.

Passauer was found around 4 p.m. shot in the abdomen, sitting in his chair in the office. Police later discovered seven .40 caliber shell casing in the entry and around the body, according to the charges.

The Chisago County Sheriff's Office later pursued Petersen over 11 miles before he was taken into custody in Stillwater. Investigators used Petersen's cell phone number to track him driving away from St. Paul on Interstate 35.

According to the criminal complaint, shortly after the time of the shooting Petersen arrived at his Woodbury address. "Petersen said goodbye to his girlfriend and children and said he was going to 'where they spend the summers together.'"

Prosecutors say Petersen began calling friends and talking about "doing something bad." One friend offered to meet him at a bar but Petersen allegedly texted back, "No I just shot my lawyer."

When police searched the Chevrolet Yukon Petersen was driving they did not find the handgun believed to have been used in the shooting. But in a search of both addresses used by Petersen, investigators found .40 caliber rounds with identical brand and markings to the casings found in the law offices.

"This senseless and horrific act took the life of a promising young man in our community, and we should keep his family and loved ones in our prayers. Our office will do everything in its power to seek justice in this case," said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said in a statement.