Bemidji man convicted of aiding in slaying of missing woman

A Bemidji man has been convicted of helping burn and bury a woman's body.

WDAZ-TV reports that a Beltrami County jury on Tuesday found 32-year-old Brandon Rossbach guilty of aiding an offender in the death of Rose Downwind, a mother of five and the granddaughter of American Indian Movement co-founder Dennis Banks.

Downwind disappeared in October 2015. Her burned body was found in a shallow grave in a forest northwest of Bemidji last December.

An autopsy indicated she had been strangled. Her ex-boyfriend, Marchello Cimmarusti, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in April.

Cimmarusti is to be sentenced in November and Rossbach in December. Another man, Christopher Davis, pleaded guilty earlier to the same charge as Rossbach and is serving a 10-year sentence.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.