Court

WALKER -- Cheyenne Anthony Budreau, 21, Cass Lake, pleaded guilty Monday in Cass County District Court to felony second-degree murder and first-degree arson in connection with the death of Faye Marie Nelson in a fire Aug. 20, 2002, at a Cass Lake residence.

He had been scheduled to go to trial Tuesday.

Budreau had argued with Andrew Jones earlier that night, then, according to the court complaint filed against him, he rode around Cass Lake for several hours before being dropped off by friends.

Witnesses told officers Budreau threatened to burn down the Della and Jim Jones house where they lived with their son, Andrew. In the early morning hours, the house did burn to the ground.

Della Jones was injured in the fire. Jim and Andrew Jones escaped without injury. Nelson, a Duluth resident who was a house guest at the Jones residence that night, died of carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation.

Additional grand jury indictments of felony first- and second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault are expected to be dismissed.

Judge John P. Smith scheduled an Oct. 13 sentencing and restitution hearing for Budreau.

Cass County court

WALKER -- The following recently appeared in Cass County District Court:

Faustine Effie Draper, 26, Akeley, was ordered to serve an additional 15 days jail for violating probation she is serving for gross misdemeanor DWI.

Larry Robert Hatch, 53, Crosslake, was sentenced for a lesser-included gross misdemeanor third-degree criminal damage to property to pay $500 fine and placed on two years supervised probation.

Dale Richard Denny Jr., 36, Verndale, was sentenced for gross misdemeanor DWI to 48 hours jail and 28 days electronic home monitoring, fined $1,000 and placed on three years supervised probation.