34 years after Mpls. teen's rape and killing, a man is charged
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Decades after a 17-year-old was found murdered, prosecutors in Minneapolis say they have enough evidence to charge the alleged killer.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced a second-degree murder charge Wednesday against Darrell Rea, 62, in the death of Lorri Mesedahl in 1983.
Freeman said DNA evidence made the prosecution possible.
"This is a great example of how we do not give up," Freeman said, flanked by police at a news conference. "We are not going to rest. We want to seek answers and find the people that are responsible for these crimes no matter when they occurred, no matter what year they occur, our detectives are always working on these cases."
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Authorities allege Rea, of St. Louis Park, raped Mesedahl before killing her in north Minneapolis 34 years ago.
"Mr. Rea has been a suspect in this case for a long time," Freeman said. "He's a suspect on a number of other cases. As you know there's no statute of limitations for homicide so we could change him with that. We believe he was involved in other rape cases but the statute of limitations has passed."
Rea will make his first court appearance on Friday. Prosecutors plan to seek $1 million bond.
Mesedahl's parents are no longer alive. A friend thanked law enforcement for pursuing the case.
