Two Suspects Charged With Murder Break Out Of Mower County Jail

Sunday, March 25, 2001 AUSTIN, Minn. — Two St. Paul men charged with murder in the killing of two construction workers in an Austin motel escaped from the Mower County jail Sunday morning by beating two jailers and jumping out of a second story window, authorities said.

Police caught a third man who also tried to escape the southeastern Minnesota jail. Authorities became aware of the jailbreak when officers walking to their squad cars saw David Kenneth Christian, 28, writhing on the ground in an orange jumpsuit. He had broken his leg when the three jumped from a window, authorities said.

Vernon Neal Powers Jr., 28, and Scot Perry Christian, 30, were still at large, according to Mower County authorities.

"We're still searching the town area," said Sgt. Steve Howard of the Mower County Sheriff's Department. "We are checking every lead we have to find where they are at."

The men used their fists to beat two jailers, one male and one female, as they were being served breakfast. A spokeswoman for the Austin Medical Center where the jailers were taken said early Sunday afternoon that one of the jailers was in fair condition and the other had been treated and released.

Authorities believe Powers and Christian, who were wearing orange, jail-issue jumpsuits, were also injured in the fight. Austin Police Chief Paul Philipp said it didn't appear the escape had been planned.

"I think it was a spur-of-the-moment, take-advantage-of-an-opportunity type thing," Philipp said.

The suspects were being held in lieu of $1 million bond. Jury selection in their trials had been scheduled to begin April 9.

They are among four St. Paul residents who were charged with first-degree murder in the July shooting of Juan Ramirez, 41, and Raul Gutierrez, 26, both of St. Paul.

St. Paul police said they were assisting in the investigation.

"We're looking at it and we're going to check places for the suspects," said St. Paul Police Cmdr. Jim Singer. "We don't have any information right now that they're coming to St. Paul, but they've got some roots here, and we're taking that into consideration."

The three suspects and Jenea Weinand, 18, are each charged with four counts of first-degree murder, four counts of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree assault. Powers and Scot Christian are also each charged with felony possession of a weapon.

Austin police found Ramirez and Gutierrez shot to death at the Downtown Motel on June 30. A third man, 20-year-old Benjamin Moreno Hernandez, was shot in the arm and survived.

According to investigators, the suspects had been in Austin to set up a prostitution ring while the victims were part of a contracting crew in town for a job.

The night of the shootings, investigators said, Ramirez visited a nearby hotel room for sex. When he paid the prostitute, she noticed he kept a large amount of cash in a bandanna and called her friends. They hatched a plan to rob Ramirez, stormed into his room, and opened fire when Ramirez shouted for help.

Jail Break

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001