Second-degree murder suspect won’t settle

GRANITE FALLS - A Granite Falls man facing a charge of second-degree murder for fatally punching his long-time girlfriend in the head is asking for an omnibus hearing.
Chad Laraby, 54, appeared in district court in Granite Falls on Tuesday for what was scheduled as a settlement hearing. After private discussions, attorneys in the case told District Judge Dwayne Knutsen that no agreement had been reached.
Laraby is alleged to have struck Linda Kay (Haugen) Boehme, 65, in the head at his residence in Granite Falls on March 16. Laraby had called 911 at 1:22 a.m. and told a dispatcher that “something was not right” with Boehme.
She was transported to the Granite Falls Hospital and subsequently to the Hennepin County Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead about 16 hours after Granite Falls Police had responded to the scene.
Police reported that Laraby appeared intoxicated and the house was in disarray, with a chair tipped over and broken glass on floor.
The criminal complaint alleges that Laraby later told officers that he had fallen asleep on the couch and awoke when Boehme was digging around in his front pocket. She told him she was looking for the TV remote. He believed she was going to take his wallet and punched her several times in the head, according to the criminal complaint.
Family and friends of the defendant and victim were present for the hearing in anticipation of a possible guilty plea. Defense Attorney Benjamin Pieh told the court that a request was filed for an omnibus hearing. It is scheduled for July 7.
Attorney Robert Plesha, with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, and Stacy Vinberg, assistant Yellow Medicine County Attorney, represented the prosecution.