Change of Venue Denied in Crash that Killed 3
WILLMAR (AP) - A judge in Kandiyohi County has denied a change of venue for a man accused of killing three family members in fiery highway crash.
Twenty-two-year-old Paul Wickenhauser faces 15 felony charges in the August crash near Willmar that killed 68-year-old Marta Stoffers, of Atwater, her 40-year-old daughter-in-law, Michelle Hoffman, of Eden Prairie, and Hoffman's 8-year-old daughter Julia. Hoffman's 5-year-old son survived his injuries.
Defense attorney Lynne Togerson argued Tuesday that pretrial publicity about the case could taint a local jury pool.
Authorities say Wickenhauser was driving a pickup truck on Highway 12, crossed the center line and struck the victims' minivan, which caught fire.