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George Raymond Kortte, 77, Sleepy Eye, was charged with felony 2nd and 3rd-degree burglary and misdemeanor theft Feb. 15,

According to court documents, Sleepy Eye Police Officer Elliott Waterbury took a Jan. 13 phone call from a man who said he thought someone was in his apartment while he was away at work. The man said he noticed things missing from his apartment after coming home from work.

Later, officer Peter McGarry got a call from the man who said he checked with his neighbor who had video footage of a person coming up stairs towards his apartment and identified the suspects as Cheryl Rose Mussehl and Kortte.

The man said he thought his front door was damaged from the couple trying to enter his apartment including damage to a door knob, door frame trim and a door dent.

Video showed a woman, officer Waterbury recognized from other contacts, walking down stairs with items in her hands.

Officer Waterbury tried to contact a male suspect at his Sleepy Eye apartment when a female walked by and said Kortte and Mussehl were not home. The female gave officer Waterbury a phone number and said she recently used it to talk to the male suspect.

Officer Waterbury called the number and talked to a man who said he didn’t know where Mussehl was and refused to give out her phone number. Officer Waterbury said he wanted to talk to Kortte and Mussehl about them going into her old apartment without permission and taking items. The man said the items belonged to Mussehl.

Officer Waterbury said the couple didn’t have to talk to him but he was going to write a report and send it off for burglary charges.

The next day, Officer Waterbury learned from a day shift officer that the Kortte and Mussehl called about the incident and said they didn’t know anything about it.

The same charges were filed against Mussehl Feb. 8. A remote Zoom hearing for Mussehl and Kortte was set for 8:30 a.m. March 5.

BrowSheriff Press Release

Type of Incident:    Two Vehicle Crash with Single Fatality

Date of Incident:    01-11-2024                      Time of Incident:    1424 hours

Location of Incident:    Brown County Road 20 and 140^th Avenue

Names, Ages, Address of Person(s) involved:

Dean Martin Steffensmeier, 13945 State Highway 15, Hanska, Minnesota 56041 – age 76

Donna Lee Steffensmeier, 13945 State Highway 15, Hanska, Minnesota 56041 – age 75

Steven Don Howard, 300 Chancery Lane, Mankato Minnesota 56001 – age 72

Details of Incident:

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota received a 9-1-1 call on 01-11-2024 at 1424 hours of a two vehicle crash at the intersection of Brown County Road 20 and 140^th Avenue. Dean Steffensmeier and his passenger, Donna Steffensmeier, were driving westbound on County Road 20 in a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. Steven Howard was driving northbound on 140^th Avenue in a 2019 Toyota 4-Runner.

The two vehicles collided at the intersection of Brown County Road 20 and 140^th Avenue. Donna Steffensmeier, 75, was pronounced deceased at the scene as a result of her injuries. Dean Steffensmeier, 76, was treated at the scene and flown by Mayo Air Ambulance to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Steven Howard, 72, was treated at the scene and released.

No alcohol or drug use was suspected. All occupants were wearing seat belts and front air bags, and side air bags were deployed. The Brown County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Patrol are investigating the two vehicle crash.

Agencies assisting at the scene include:  Hanska Fire Department, Hanska First Responders, Allina (ground) Ambulance, Mayo Air Ambulance, Minnesota State Patrol, and the Brown County Sheriff’s Office.

Sleepy Eye Police Officers Taylor Bolinger and Peter McGarry along with Brown County Deputies Jason Fairbairn and Justin Robertson, State Trooper Valerie Hauser and Brown County Dispatcher Julie Hellendrung were honored with the Meritorious Service Awards January 8 at a ceremony.

The group collaberated on the arrest of the murder suspect of Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram. The apprehension took place September 13 in Leavenworth Township. The Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota State Patrol Air Unit, Sleepy Eye Police Department, and Brown County Sheriff’s Office Deputies “took the suspect into custody without incident” around 11:49 p.m.

The award was presented by the Minnesota South Central Investigators Coalition.

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