Suspects charged in Mille Lacs death
Two Onamia men were each charged Tuesday in Mille Lacs County District Court with two counts of felony second-degree murder, suspected of killing 19-year-old William Anthony Nickaboine of Onamia, who went missing July 17.
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Nickaboine's burned body was found by a community search party late Friday night across the road from the Mille Lacs Band wastewater treatment center in Kathio Township, about two miles away from where he had last been seen.
Aaron James Beaulieu, 20, and Joshua Simon Boyd, 20, appeared in court Tuesday and were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree murder. Bail or bond was set at $800,000 unconditional or $500,000 conditional.
According to the criminal complaint filed in court Tuesday, Mille Lacs Tribal Police were contacted by Nickaboine's mother, Arlene Weous, last Thursday. Weous reported that her son had been missing since July 17. Law enforcement had been receiving reports about the possibility that Nickaboine was missing but Thursday was when an official missing person report was filed by his mother.
Aaron Beaulieu
Joshua Simon Boyd
Law enforcement began investigating and received several reports that there may have been a fight between Beaulieu, Boyd and Nickaboine in a garage at a residence owned by Cari Mitchell on the 17000 block of Gabeshi Lane. A Mille Lacs Tribal Police investigator spoke to Nathan Rory Bugg, 18, at the residence Thursday who denied having any knowledge of a fight but while speaking to him the investigator observed what appeared to be wiped-up blood on the garage floor. The scene was secured and a search warrant was drafted, the complaint stated.
At about 1 p.m. Friday a Mille Lakes Tribal Police officer spoke with Boyd who stated he had gone to that Gebeshi Lane residence and spoken to Nickaboine for a short time. A woman also had come over to get her cell phone from Nickaboine during this time and then left. Boyd told police he left the home in his truck and drove toward his grandmother's house but that on his way his truck ran out of gas on Timber Trails Road so he left his truck there and walked to his grandmother's house.
On Friday night law enforcement was contacted to respond to the area of Timber Trails Road where a knife that appeared to have blood on it was located in a ditch. The knife had been found by a community search party looking for Nickaboine. A woman in the search party explained to a police officer that she found the knife in a ditch about a quarter-mile north of the Kathio Town Hall on Timber Trails Road and marked the spot with yellow tape and called for help from other search party members.
A short time later, law enforcement was contacted again to respond to a wooded area farther down the road near the Mille Lacs Band wastewater treatment center where human remains were found. The area was sealed off while officers waited for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension crime lab to arrive to process the scene. The remains, which were partly burned, were later identified as Nickaboine.
After the remains were found, a tribal police investigator and a BCA agent re-interviewed Bugg. Bugg then admitted that he saw Beaulieu punch Nickaboine several times, knocking him down, during the early morning hours on July 17 outside the garage. Bugg also said that after Nickaboine was knocked to the ground that Beaulieu dragged Nickaboine into the garage by his shirt. Bugg also saw a knife that matched the description of the one found in the ditch fall out of Nickaboine's pants pocket. Bugg also said that he saw Boyd kick Nickaboine in the back and stomp on his head. Bugg said Boyd then placed Nickaboine in the back of a silver Chevrolet Suburban and that Boyd left in the Suburban.
Bugg stated he then gave Beaulieu a ride to the Shirley Boyd residence in a Buick LeSabre and returned to the Gebeshi Lane home. The silver Suburban was found abandoned in a ditch at 9:24 a.m. July 17 by a Mille Lacs Tribal Police officer. Forensics confirmed that there was blood found in the Suburban and the officer who located the vehicle also found court documents belonging to Nickaboine in the Suburban.
An investigator spoke with Mitchell who said she looked into her garage and saw Boyd and Beaulieu beating up Nickaboine. Another woman also admitted she was at the home that night and saw Boyd punch Nickaboine but that she walked away and didn't see anything else.
An investigator also spoke with Kevin Boyd Jr., 25, on Saturday. He stated that around 7 a.m. July 17 he was outside the Shirley Boyd residence when he saw Joshua Boyd walking out of a wooded area wearing a white T-shirt and red shorts. Kevin Boyd stated that Joshua Boyd's T-shirt had blood on the front. Kevin Boyd said that Joshua Boyd entered Shirley Boyd's residence and came out a short time later wearing different clothing. A search warrant was issued and executed at the Boyd residence to search for bloody clothing on Saturday but none was found.
Beaulieu and Boyd were at the Cedar Wood Restaurant in Onamia Saturday when they were arrested and taken to the Mille Lacs County Jail.
Beaulieu and Boyd will next appear in court at 1 p.m. Aug. 2.
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.