‘There’s a murderer living amongst you’ — Family of slain North Dakota man continue quest for justice

GRAND FORKS – It has been almost 15 years since 38-year-old Joel Lovelien was crushed to demise outdoors a Grand Forks bar.

His household remains to be looking for justice.

Erika Lovelien, Joel’s sister, and Judy Salo, Joel and Erika’s mom, say Joel was cherished by his household and colleagues.

“He was sensible. He was a geek. He was a pc nerd,” Erika Lovelien mentioned.

Joel Lovelien, who labored as a technical programs analyst for Altru Well being System, had gone to the Damaged Drum Bar together with his fiancee and a gaggle of associates on Oct. 27, 2007 — the weekend earlier than Halloween. Salo mentioned whereas her son was there he heard somebody was getting assaulted outdoors and went to assist the injured particular person. That’s when Joel was crushed.

When officers received to the scene Lovelien was unresponsive, and CPR was administered. He was pronounced useless shortly after being transported to Altru Hospital.

Discovering the suspect proved to be a singular scenario for the police who labored the case. Because of the evening’s proximity to Halloween, almost everybody was in costume, together with Lovelien, who was dressed as a College of North Dakota hockey participant.

Amongst these interviewed by police was Travis Keep, who on the time was a UND nursing pupil. Keep, who was dressed as a lion the evening of Joel’s homicide, instructed police he had been closely consuming and didn’t bear in mind something. One of many paws from Keep’s costume was discovered on the scene with Lovelien’s blood on it.

Keep was charged with homicide, although a jury discovered him not responsible in December 2008. Through the trial, a number of totally different accounts have been introduced on who may have been the one to beat Lovelien outdoors of the bar. Erika Lovelien and Salo mentioned they felt the trial was rushed by these working the case.

“They sort of simply went forward with it simply to sort of fulfill us or the general public,” Erika Lovelien mentioned.

Notably, each Erika Lovelien and Salo imagine Keep was not the one who killed Joel and imagine the trial has had a big influence on his life.

Grand Forks Police Lt. Jeremy Moe mentioned the division does obtain tips about the case infrequently, and all new ideas are adopted to find out relevance.

GFPD Lt. Andrew Stein mentioned Lovelien’s homicide isn’t categorized as a chilly case, since a trial was held.

Phrase about Joel’s homicide has unfold as documentaries, together with one finished by NBC’s “Dateline” in 2013, outlined the case. The documentary is usually re-aired on NBC’s community.

Just lately, Oxygen Community reached out to the Lovelien household to do a documentary. Erika Lovelien mentioned her household was on board with the concept, however was then instructed the community wouldn’t be capable of do the documentary since a few of those that labored the case didn’t need to be interviewed.

In line with Stein, the division was prepared to undergo with collaborating within the documentary, however since many of the officers who labored the case have retired or are not with the GFPD, there is no such thing as a one left within the division to be interviewed for the published.

Regardless of the Oxygen Community documentary not understanding, Erika Lovelien and Salo mentioned they need to proceed sharing what occurred to Joel since there are nonetheless many unanswered questions.

Erika Lovelien, who now lives in Montana, mentioned she needs the neighborhood to pay attention to her brother’s case as she believes many individuals have forgotten about his homicide through the years.

“If I nonetheless lived within the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks space, I’d need to learn about an lively homicide case,” she mentioned. “There’s a assassin residing amongst you.”

Salo mentioned she hopes somebody will come ahead.

“Anyone is aware of one thing in Grand Forks,” Salo mentioned.