(Jackson, Mn.)– Jackson County authorities say they’ve filed murder and kidnapping charges against one of the ringleaders involved in the 1997 kidnapping and murder of Gregory “Sky” Erickson of Estherville who was 15 at the time.
Charges of murder in the second degree, kidnapping, assault in the first degree and assault in the second degree were filed yesterday (Fri.) in Jackson County District Court against Juan Humberto Castillo-Alvarez, who’s currently being held at the Newton Correctional Facility in Newton.
Castillo-Alvarez was initially charged in 1997 but fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution. Treaty terms between Mexico and the U.S. prevented the extradition of Castillo-Alvarez at the time due to the charges having a penalty of death or life imprisonment if convicted. Those charges were then dismissed.
In September 2004 Clay county filed a complaint against Castillo-Alvarez and he was extradited in September, 2006.
Castillo-Alvarez was convicted in January 2007 of murder in the second degree, kidnapping in the second degree and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. However, the Iowa Court of Appeals overturned the convictions in September of 2009, saying Iowa’s speedy trial rules had been violated. Last month the Iowa Supreme Court denied a review of the Court of Appeals decision.
In a statement, Jackson County Sheriff Roger Hawkinson says “it would be an injustice to Erickson and his family if Jackson county were not to pursue charges against Castillo-Alvarez”. Hawkinson says countless hours of investigation went into the case by his department, the Minnesota Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Emmet, Clay and Dickinson county law enforcement agencies.
The Jackson County Attorney’s Office says extradition proceedings to bring Castillo-Alvarez to Minnesota from Iowa will get underway soon.
