BABBITT — The St. Louis County Attorney's Office has filed second-degree murder charges again a man who allegedly killed the married couple he was staying with in Babbitt.
Facing the felonies is 54-year-old Roger Allen Beldo.
According to the criminal complaint, Beldo called 911 dispatchers himself and said he wanted to go to jail because he'd done some "really bad things." When law enforcement arrived, Beldo eventually told them he'd killed his two roommates in Babbitt using a tire iron and a hammer.
Babbitt police officers responded to the address and found 79-year-old Christine Johnson and 78-year-old Clifford Johnson dead inside their home.
Charges were filed Wednesday in St. Louis County District Court.
The victims' granddaughter told police Beldo had been living with the couple for at least a month.
Beldo told police he had no vehicle, no home and no income aside from nutrition assistance and was awaiting approval for Section 8 housing.
He remains in custody in St. Louis County.
-
Plus: Minnesota partners want you to help track wildlife collisions; and DNR upgrades four fishing piers in Northern Minnesota.
-
St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said the fire was one of at least a half-dozen blazes in the county as high winds, low humidity and drought conditions persisted.
-
Researchers are asking Minnesotans to count roadkill during Wildlife Casualty Count Week of Action, May 22-29, 2026, to help inform problem areas so that protections can be added.
-
The agency said it is also close to finishing upgrades on the pier on Sand Lake near Warba.
-
The Legislature must take action by Sunday night, May 17, 2026, to avoid the impacts on the Outdoor Heritage Fund projects set to begin or continue in coming months.
-
Plus: Dry, windy weather creates dangerous conditions across the state; and Wrenshall school district voters give the OK for consolidation with Carlton.
-
The deal is Gov. Tim Walz’s last, as his term ends in January and he’s not seeking reelection. The deadlocked Minnesota House — jointly controlled by Republicans and Democrats — has tempered Walz’s ambitions.
-
The Minnesota music mainstays stopped by KAXE in March 2026 to play and talk about songs from their latest album.
-
The guilty plea comes more than a year after the Grand Rapids Republican's arrest as part of an undercover law enforcement sting operation.
-
Events this week include a Norwegian celebration in Bemidji and a unique exercise class in Grand Rapids.