Mille Lacs might resort to grand jury

MILACA (AP) -- The Mille Lacs County Attorney said she was leaning toward convening a grand jury to consider two alleged sexual assaults at a Minnesota Vikings fund-raiser in February.

County Attorney Jan Kolb said she and Mille Lacs Sheriff Brent Lindgren have met about sending the case to a grand jury because of the lack of cooperation from key witnesses in the case.

She said she hopes to make a decision next week. "I think we will be setting up a grand jury, but I have to read the file first," Kolb said.

She said sending the case to grand jury would force witnesses to cooperate with investigators.

"We've heard every excuse in the book, from hearing people are out of the state to everything else," Kolb said. "So this would help. It's time to get this case finished."

The Minnesota Vikings declined comment on Wednesday.

The sheriff's department is investigating two alleged sexual assaults that occurred in early February at Eddy's Resort near Mille Lacs Lake during the Vikings' Arctic Blast snowmobile event. Several current and former Vikings players attended the weekend fund-raiser for the team's children's fund.

Investigators have not formally named any suspects.