DOUBLE HOMICIDE
Husband, wife found shot to death in bed
Authorities are investigating the deaths of a husband and wife, who were found shot to death in their bed on Christmas Eve at their rural Brainerd home.
The couple, 68-year-old Theodore "Ted" Bieganek and his wife, 64-year-old Angeline "Angie" Bieganek, were found by their grandson, Josh Derosier, 19, who called 911 at 11:02 a.m. Monday, Crow Wing County Sheriff Dick Ross said.
The Bieganeks' house is at 5864 Barbeau Road, just off of Highway 371 north of Brainerd. The couple lived in the house alone.
Upon arrival at the house, deputies found the Bieganeks' front door broken down and the couple dead in their bed. They were apparently asleep when they were shot, still wearing their sleeping clothes and under the covers, officials said.
The couple was found shot in the head with what appeared to be a .22-caliber gun, Ross said. The 22-caliber shell casings were recovered at the murder scene, though no weapon was, said Ross. He also said it was unknown if the Bieganeks owned any guns.
Ross said the Crow Wing County Coroner's Office reported it appeared the couple had been dead for eight or nine hours before the deputies arrived. The final results of an autopsy are expected from the coroner's office today.
Though the front door of the house was smashed open with brute force -- the glass in the door was broken out and the door was off its hinges -- Ross said it didn't appear anything was taken from the residence.
"It's extremely hard to tell when you walk through the home, but it didn't look like anything was missing," said Ross. "When I walked through, it looked like a lived-in home -- I could see the TV, I could see all the presents under the tree. The house appeared in order."
The Bieganeks' bedroom is about 50-60 feet away from the front door, Ross said, and it is possible the couple didn't hear the front door being broken.
There are no suspects in the killings, said Ross. Investigators are following up on several leads, and are interviewing family members, neighbors and friends.
"We need to talk to quite a few people," said Ross, noting the Bieganeks were part of a large family. The couple was to host a Christmas party that night, Ross said.
Based on interviews already conducted with neighbors, no one saw any suspicious vehicles or people in the neighborhood Sunday, Ross said.
There also had been no complaints or calls for deputies at the residence in the past, said Ross.
Ross said he knew the family, who he described as good people.
"They were (killed) in bed, a tragedy, on Christmas Eve, a tragedy, an elderly couple, a tragedy," said Ross. "The whole picture leaves a real sour taste in your stomach, obviously."
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is assisting with the investigation.