ORONO, Minn. — The man charged in a crash that killed two men earlier this year in Orono was charged with murder on Thursday, according to court documents.
James Blue, 51, was charged with two counts of third-degree murder on top of the four prior counts of criminal vehicular homicide. Blue was initially charged back in August for allegedly driving while drunk in the fatal July 24 crash.
The crash, which happened on the 3100 block of North Shore Drive in Orono, killed 24-year-old Samuel Schuneman and 20-year-old Mack Motzko. According to the criminal complaint, Schuneman was found dead in the front seat when authorities arrived, while Motzko, who was sitting in the back seat, was taken to the hospital and later died from his injuries. The complaint says both were wearing their seatbelts.
Minnesota's third-degree murder statute reads as follows:
(a) Whoever, without intent to effect the death of any person, causes the death of another by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life, is guilty of murder in the third degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 25 years.
(b) Whoever, without intent to cause death, proximately causes the death of a human being by, directly or indirectly, unlawfully selling, giving away, bartering, delivering, exchanging, distributing, or administering a controlled substance classified in Schedule I or II, is guilty of murder in the third degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 25 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $40,000, or both.
According to the complaint, Blue was ejected from the vehicle and found hurt but conscious on the ground about 10 feet from the car. The complaint says he told responding officers that he was "sorry," and said he had been drinking and was "guilty." He was taken the hospital, and later turned himself in after being treated for his injuries.
A witness who the complaint identifies as Motzko's sister and Schuneman's girlfriend told authorities that Blue had been hosting a party at his house and offered to show the young men his Bentley.
The complaint says THC gummies and crushed-up pills were found in Blue's pockets by hospital staff, and witnesses told authorities they saw him drinking during the party. The initial complaint stated his blood alcohol content was found to be 0.175%, over twice the legal limit. In the most recent court document, standard extrapolation indicates he was at around .2% at the time of the crash.
According to the complaint, "preliminary analysis" of the car found it was driving between 94 and 99 miles per hour during the crash, in an area with speed limits no higher than 45. According to the most recent document, the investigation showed that brakes were only used about 2.5 seconds before the crash.
