Suspect

arrested in

Springfield

slaying

Robbery

was motive

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Minn. -- Police arrested a juvenile suspect in the murder of Edwin "Speedy" Saffert Wednesday afternoon, hours after an autopsy report confirmed that the Springfield man's death was a murder.

Saffert, 79, was found dead inside his house at 15 South O'Connell St. by a Springfield utilities worker Monday morning. Authorities originally called the case a suspicious death, but later said it was an apparent homicide after further investigation. The autopsy found Saffert died of severe head injuries inflicted by an object.

The suspect, Daniel Ramo Pena, 16, of 405 W. Van Dusen, Springfield, was arrested at his home at 1:45 p.m., Wednesday, said Springfield Police Chief Jeff Cummins.

He was charged later with two counts of first degree murder.

A grand jury will be convened to seek an indictment, a requirement in Minnesota in such cases.

A complaint filed in Brown County District Court states that Pena's motive was robbery. He allegedly killed Saffert in order to get enough money to move his mother to California, the complaint states.

If convicted, Pena faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for each of the two charges.

Cummins said the arrest was made after investigators followed up on a lead from an anonymous tip.

The tip identified Pena and another individual, saying that discussion about robbing Saffert was heard about a week and a half before Saffert was killed.

Saffert was known to many Springfield residents for his kind demeanor and was a frequent visitor to downtown businesses.

Pena allegedly confessed to Saffert's murder to one of the other people with whom he was planning the robbery, the complaint stated.

Pena said he beat Saffert. "I think I killed him. I'm pretty sure he is dead," the complaint stated.

The alleged murder weapon was a wooden stick, which investigators later found in the Cottonwood River, according to the criminal complaint. The stick later tested positive for blood stains, the complaint stated.

Pena allegedly admitted to robbing Saffert in a later interview with investigators, but he denied involvement with Saffert's killing, saying he only stayed on the porch while someone else committed the murder.

Cummins said more arrests are possible because the investigation is still open.

"We've been getting a lot of calls about this," Cummins said when asked if the Springfield Police Department had received many calls about the case.

Saffert's body was lying on his bed when discovered, and blood was spattered on the walls and furniture in the room, the complaint states.

Pena appeared in court Wednesday afternoon.

Brown County Attorney James Olson said the bail hearing was held in Windom because Brown County's District Court judge was absent.

Cottonwood County District Court Judge Bruce F. Gross set two amounts of bail: $750,000 unconditional and $500,000 conditional. Olson said Pena is being held at a juvenile detention facility in New Ulm.

Shortly after Saffert's murder was reported, four agents from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were sent to Springfield from the Twin Cities.

Those agents are leading the investigation and have handled most of the interviews and evidence work. The Springfield Police Department has mostly contributed background information and local intelligence on the case's suspects, Cummins said.

The Brown County Sheriff's Department has also helped handle some of the investigation. The State Patrol's Marshall office has also assisted.

Cummins said two search warrants have been executed since the investigation began Monday. One was served on Saffert's house and the other was served on Pena's house.

"You have to feel pretty good if in the first 48 hours, you've got your first arrest," Cummins said.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)