The Newspaper Story

EDITED TO ADD 1/10/2008 My blog is gone, when it comes back in a couple of months it will be in a new home with a new name...for reasons I cannot discuss, this is a necessary step, but I'll be back! And better than ever!

post script...I am keeping this story because it is a matter of public record...

Richfield man accused of attacking estranged wife faces attempted murder charge
By steven PEase • Sun Newspapers(Created: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 3:29 PM CDT)

A Richfield man accused of choking his estranged wife and beating her with a dumbbell Sept. 28 faces several charges, including attempted murder.

Joel Harlan Freeberg, 39, was charged in Hennepin County District Court Oct. 1 with four felonies including. Felony charges included attempted second-degree murder, second-degree assault, attempted first-degree criminal sexual conduct, and domestic assault by strangulation. Freeberg was also charged with interference with an emergency call, a gross misdemeanor.

If found guilty of all charges, he could be sentence to up to 59 years in prison and $48,000 in fines.

The following account was taken from the criminal complaint filed against Freeberg:

With her two infant daughters asleep in another room, the woman entered a laundry room. There she saw Freeberg, turned and ran. He allegedly beat her three times over the head with dumbbells and then began to choke her.

"This is the end of the road, this is over," Freeberg was quoted as saying as he allegedly choked her. "If I can't have you, no one else can."

Soon after, the woman broke free, ran upstairs and called 911.

As she made the call, Freeberg allegedly grabbed the phone from her and threw it.

He allegedly continued to beat her. She again broke free by slipping out of her sweatshirt.

Following the Sept. 28 attack, the woman ran from a Second Avenue residence screaming, according to the criminal complaint.

She managed to flag down an officer responding to the truncated 911 call. Another officer then spotted and arrested the assailant.

Richfield officers observed Freeberg leaving the residence with a blue backpack. The backpack contained duct tape, scissors and lengths rope that he later told police he was going to use to tie and rape his estranged wife.

During his interrogation, Freeberg said he struck the woman with the dumbbell, and made threatening statements.

Freeberg reportedly told police that he had plans to go to the house, tie up his wife and rape her, according to the complaint. Freeberg allegedly said that he "may or may not" have gone on to kill her.

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