NORTHFIELD, Minn — The Rice County Attorney's Office have filed murder charges against a man accused of severely beating a 79-year-old man during a road rage incident last month near Northfield.
Leslie Sanders of Faribault was originally charged with first-degree assault following the June 27 incident which left Larry Myers of Faribault with several facial fractures.
The criminal complaint filed against Sanders says Myers was also diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and left unable to breathe on his own. Doctors determined he would not recover and based on his end of life instructions, Myers was removed from life support. He died Wednesday night, according to the Rice County Attorney's Office.
Sanders, age 52, now faces second-degree murder charges along with the assault charges filed earlier.
According to the criminal complaint, Dundas Police Chief Todd Hanson responded to a road rage incident on Cannon City Boulevard shortly after 11 a.m. on June 27 near Northfield.
When Chief Hanson arrived he saw several vehicles pulled over in the median in both the southbound and northbound lanes of Highway 3. Hanson said he saw Sanders yelling at witnesses, according to the complaint.
Several of the witnesses told Chief Hanson they saw Sanders get out of his truck while it "was still rolling," approach the driver's side of a white Chevrolet Equinox and punch the driver (Myers) numerous times in the face. Those witnesses told Chief Hanson they did not see Myers try to punch Sanders.
The chief was able to interview Myers, who told him that Sanders was passing him and struck his vehicle when returning to that lane of traffic.
Sanders was taken into custody on Thursday, July 1 and now awaits arraignment on the murder charge and one count of third-degree assault in addition to the prior assault charge.
“The significant injury and now death caused by this assault indicates Mr. Sanders is clearly a risk to public safety, and the current conditions of release need to be reconsidered,” said County Attorney John Fossum in the release announcing the murder charges.
