MOOSE LAKE, Minn. — A man convicted 30 years ago for beating his great-grandmother to death with a crowbar, has been denied parole. David Engle was 17 when convicted in Fillmore County and sent to prison for life. After 30 years, however, Engle was eligible for release. The state Parole Board said no. The Board noted that hasn’t apologized directly to the family. Nor, said the Board, has he shown a sense of how deeply the community was affected. He can apply for parole again in 2028. Then he’ll be 52 years old. Until then, the Board told Engle to work with a prison psychologist on a more convincing rehabilitation plan. The 1996 murder was in the Iowa birder hamlet of Granger. He actually lived in nearby Cresco, Iowa. Among people objecting to Engle’s release were Cresco citizens who said they didn’t want him anywhere near or around. At the Moose Lake prison, he’s out of sight and out of mind and 3-1/2 hours away. Told about the Cresco sentiment, Engle said he hadn’t thought about his release re-victimizing the community but said: “Me returning to that community, that might not be a good idea,” Probably better he said, would be resettling in the Twin Cities.
Engle. Three more years at medium-security Moose Lake prison between Duluth and Sandstone. Among 1,000 Moose Lake inmates.
Verbatim
Brett Corson, Fillmore County attorney, to KTTC: “The Board recognized that there hasn’t been enough change yet, that he hasn’t internalized responsibility for it, that he hasn’t addressed a number of concerns, so I’m glad the Board recognized that and recognized that the concerns of the public were legitimate concerns.”
Crime profile
After a night of drinking, Engle, who was 17, went to the home of Gertie Bestor, age 86, his great grandmother to ask for money. She had loaned him money before. This time she said no. He killed and sexually assaulted her. He fled. Unbeknown to him, Bestor’s medical alert brought help. Also, a family member had seen Engle leaving the home. He was later found near his home in Cresco. He was extradited to Minnesota because the crime was north of the state line. The charges:
>Three counts for first-degree murder.
> Two for second-degree murder.
> Four for burglary.
> Three for criminal sexual conduct.