ST PAUL, Minn. — Three of Minnesota's most prominent public servants have decided that a man who murdered his wife 28 years ago will remain in prison, despite the support of a corrections worker whose life was saved by that same inmate.
Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Judge Natalie Hudson unanimously voted against the commutation of Peter Shoen's life sentence for first-degree murder. Shoen was convicted of brutally beating his wife Kimberly on March 1, 1996 when she confronted him about an affair he was having, and then "putting her out of her misery" with a pipe instead of saving her life.
KARE 11's Lou Raguse shared the story of retired corrections officer Guy Wicklander, who on Thursday testified on Shoen's behalf. Wicklander was attacked by an inmate he was supervising on Dec. 3, 1999, and told Raguse he would have been killed had not Shoen stepped in to stop the violence.
Wicklander told the Board of Pardons he sympathizes with Shoen's family for the pain his murder caused, but "without Peter interfering that day, I would not be sitting here today. He added that in getting to know Shoen in the days both before and after the near-fatal attack, Peter "truly showed remorse for what he had done."
Shoen testified before the board remotely from prison, apologizing for a moment of violence that changed many lives forever. "I killed my wife... how could anyone forgive me?" he asked. Shoen told Walz, Ellison and Hudson that a felt "a divine presence" in his heart after he saved Wicklander, and believes it was Kim, telling him she forgives him. From that day, he testified, his love for God was reborn and he has thrown himself into helping others and making a positive contribution to his prison community. "He's been with me every step of this journey."
But a strong family contingent - including Shoen's own son - countered with tearful, heart-wrenching statements vehemently opposing commuting Shoen's sentence. His sister-in-law Cynthia Celander told the panel of Shoen's narcissism, and how the murder has stayed with their small southern Minnesota community for decades.
"The trauma he caused southern Minnesota cannot be overstated," she testified.
Shoen's son Jake was just 6 years old when his father beat his mother to death. He described the shame of growing up in a small community where secrets are hard to hide, and his last name identified him as Peter's son. "I ask that you take into consideration the impact it's had on our family... I've heard him say he's sorry, he's just going it for himself."
Last to speak was Kim's brother Rob Celander, who described the brutality of his sister's death, telling the panel Shoen had the opportunity to save his wife after beating his wife nearly to death, but instead - as Shoen told the BCA in an interview - went outside to grab a metal pipe and "put her out of her misery."
"What kind of man, husband or father is this?" he posed. "Is this someone who deserves to be free?"
Celander also acknowledged the testimony of the retired corrections officer but countered by insisting "if you commute this sentence you are saying a corrections officer's life is worth more than my sister's life. Explain that to her children."
Finally, Celander read a letter from Shoen's daughter Abby, who detailed the day she was told her mother was dead. She chronicled the devastating impact that knowing Shoen killed her mom had on her life. In the letter, she refused to call Shoen her father. "What Peter did to his family is truly unfathomable, and the thought of someday running into him on the street gives me severe anxiety. It is something I sincerely hope I never have to experience."
After listening to the testimony, Walz. Ellison and Hudson quickly ruled against granting Shoen a pardon or commuting his sentence. Judge Hudson noted the brutality of the killing, while Walz noted the pain testifying clearly caused Kim Shoen's survivors. "I'm sorry your family had to do this," the governor apologized.
For his part, AG Ellison acknowledged the steps Peter Shoen has taken to turn his life around but said he refused to retraumatize those Kim Shoen left behind.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: