Four women sentenced in Unidoor fire

Sentences include 20 years probation and time in jail in April

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

GAYLORD -- One of Sibley County's most troubling criminal cases came to an end as four young women were sentenced on first-degree arson charges following a serious fire here in April.

Friends, family members, attorneys and employees of the Gaylord Unidoor company sat across the room from each other and listened as both sides of the case talked about the fire's impact on their lives.

The four cases are the only charges to come out of a string of fires in Sibley County in April.

The women -- Judy Winkelmann, 21, Angela Manteuffel, 25, both of Gaylord; Nicole Raudenz, 18, of Silver Lake, and Toni Benjamin, 18, of Glencoe -- are accused of breaking into the Unidoor plant and setting a fire that cost an estimated $7.7 million worth of damage.

The four women received lesser jail sentences in exchange for entering pleas of guilty to aiding and abetting arson in the first degree. Additional charges against Winkelmann and Manteuffel were dismissed in the plea agreements. The agreements were struck in October.

During that hearing, the women testified that they broke into the factory after drinking alcoholic beverages at Winkelmann's apartment and a Gaylord bar before the break-in. Court complaints claim Winkelmann, a former Unidoor employee, broke into the warehouse and started the fire to vent anger at her employer.

Sibley County District Judge Thomas McCarthy sentenced each of the four women to serve 48 months in state prison on Monday. He stayed the execution of the sentence for 20 years of probation and six months in the Sibley County jail with credit for time served. McCarthy said the women must spend four consecutive days in April in the jail from 2005 to 2009, except for Winkelmann, who will have to serve that time until 2013. He ordered them not to have any contact with Unidoor employees. He ordered them to pay restitution to Unidoor for the same amount of time.

On Monday, the court heard about the impact from the owners of Unidoor Corporation and the four defendants' attorneys.

Unidoor co-owner and Vice President Jason Campbell spoke first. He said he can still remember receiving a call at 2:30 in the morning, saying the Unidoor plant was on fire.

"I thought it was just a small blaze at first," he said. "Watching that factory burn to the ground was agonizing."

Campbell said the fire affected each of Unidoor's 80 employees and their families. He said rebuilding the plant and getting old customers back to be a difficult struggle, but he also expects that the new plant will be in full production within one year.

"Everyone is aware of the facts," said Unidoor owner Tom Campbell. "But I don't understand why (the four women) didn't call the fire department or use a fire extinguisher."

Then, the defendants had their turn to speak.

Benjamin and her attorney Michelle Barley made a short statement to the court. Barley said all four women "have positive attitudes that should be taken into account." She pointed out that Benjamin was a high school senior who had two jobs at the time of the fire. Barley said there is no real reason why the women broke into the plant and started the fire. She said the fire has changed the life of Benjamin, who had only two speeding tickets before she was charged with arson.

Attorney William Cowell, who represented Manteuffel, said his client "had no intention to burn the building down but is responsible for her actions or lack thereof."

Cowell said he is "puzzled in the same way the Campbells are puzzled" and said Manteuffel, who had a prior record of petty misdemeanor traffic violations, has spent the last seven years of her life raising three children and now has to find an additional job, which a felony conviction will complicate.

Attorney Anthony Nerud spoke for Raduenz. He said the court should consider the fact that Raudenz "didn't enter Unidoor with lighter fluid in her pocket."

"They didn't call the fire department because they knew they were in trouble and they were scared," Nerud said to McCarthy.

Finally, Winkelmann's attorney, John Sperry, told McCarthy that Winkelmann "is just as perplexed as the victims and she's shamed and embarrassed at her actions. She has lost two jobs within the last three weeks because of her involvement in this case. This is going to have a long series of repercussions that no one can imagine."