Thirty-nine-year-old Jamie Lee Voelker of Windom was sentenced Wednesday, September 30th, in Cottonwood County District Court to 150 months (12.5 years) in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder without intent. The case dates back to July 23rd of 2025. According to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, Voelker used drugs before shooting his mother, 70-year-old Kathryn Voelker, multiple times with a .22-caliber handgun. She died from her injuries. Following the shooting, authorities say Voelker broke into a neighbor’s residence and damaged a bathroom before he was apprehended by law enforcement. Voelker pleaded guilty in July to second-degree murder and first-degree burglary. He entered what is known as a Norgaard plea, reporting that he did not remember committing the offenses because of his drug use, while acknowledging the state had sufficient evidence to convict him. During Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, defense attorney John Barragry asked Judge Christina Wietzema for a downward dispositional departure from sentencing guidelines. The judge denied that request. The state sought a 180-month prison sentence. Wietzema also denied that request and instead sentenced Voelker to 150 months. Voelker will serve at least 100 months in prison, with a maximum of 50 months on supervised release. He was given credit for 435 days already served. Voelker also received a 33-month sentence for first-degree burglary, which will be served concurrently with the murder sentence. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case following a referral from Cottonwood County Attorney Nick Anderson. The Windom Police Department, Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted with the investigation and prosecution.
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A driving complaint in Windom led to the arrest of an 18-year-old Lakefield man. On the evening of September 25th, Windom Police received a report of a vehicle speeding and driving recklessly near Highway 60 and 9th Street. An officer spotted the vehicle traveling approximately 50 miles per hour southbound on 9th Street near Miller Avenue. The officer attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle turned onto 8th Street and was lost from sight. Police later located a vehicle matching the description parked in a driveway near 9th Street and Prospect Avenue. Following an investigation, an 18-year-old Lakefield man was arrested for Underage Consumption, Conditional Release and Contempt of Court. He was also cited for consumption by a person under 21 and held for Jackson County. Windom Police are also investigating the theft of an electric scooter. Police were called to the 100 block of 9th Street on September 28th after a gray Go Trax electric scooter valued at approximately $200 disappeared from a yard. According to the report, the scooter had been placed in front of the home while the resident went inside. When she returned about an hour later, the scooter was gone. The case remains under investigation.
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The gloomy rainy days with the chilly winds yesterday make today all the sweeter! It is World Smile Day!!! Did you know that a smile can turn almost anything around? It can bring joy to people you know or a stranger. It is a universal handshake. A smile can change the course of anyone’s day, letting whoever you smile at know that you see them, you care, you want to pass some sort of joy between you. A smile is the ultimate non-touching, contact that reaches the soul and heart of others! TRY IT TODAY!!!! It’s also National Body Language Day what a powerful day of communication without words! It is actually incredible how body language sends nonverbal messages and cues and how they are sent and received. I am thinking though, IF YOU SMILE FIRST I mean really smile from your heart your Body Language will have to follow with a positive vibe result! Lets all try it today and beyond! One last note, Today is World Farm Animals Day… and when I saw that, it made me think of the newest show coming to KDOM 1580 AM/103.1 FM each Tuesday at approximately 9:32 a.m. The Animal Connection is coming for your listening pleasure! We’ll have informative, interesting and sometimes just plain fun conversations about the animals that are part of our lives and our world. From dogs and cats to horses and cows, wildlife, 4-H animals, animal care and even those unexpected animal encounters you never know where The Animal Connection might take us. We’ll talk with local experts, businesses and people who have stories and knowledge to share. And we want YOUR ideas, too! Have an animal question, an interesting topic or know someone with a great animal story? Let KDOM know. The Animal Connection connecting our community through animals. Coming every Tuesday morning at approximately 9:32 on KDOM 1580 AM and 103.1 FM.