In the shocking story told by ABC‘s 20/20, we learn about the murder of Dru Sjodin, a student at the University of North Dakota whose life was cut short in a horrible event that shocked the whole country. The scary details of Sjodin’s kidnapping, the search that followed, and how Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. was named as the main suspect are shown on ABC’s 20/20. The episode gives a gripping account of Rodriguez’s investigation, trial, and eventual fate. It shows how the case affected the community and the country deeply.
Who is Alfonso Rodriguez Jr.?
Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. was born on February 18, 1953. He is known for his part in the horrible crime that happened to Dru Sjodin. Rodriguez was born to migrant farm workers and has had a troubled past that includes drug use and a string of violent crimes, including a sexual attack with a knife when he was 21 years old. Rodriguez got out of jail on May 1, 2003, after 23 years for rape, aggravated assault, and kidnapping. His freedom was the start of a dark chapter. Rodriguez was back in the middle of criminal activities even though he was a registered Level 3 sex offender, which means he had a high chance of committing another crime.
What happened to Dru Sjodin?
On November 22, 2003, Dru Katrina Sjodin, a 22-year-old college student, was taken from her job at a Grand Forks mall. After a call with her boyfriend, she didn’t show up, and more calls made people worried. A knife sheath was found near her car in the mall parking lot. Sjodin’s body was found in a gully near Crookston, Minnesota, five months later, on April 17, 2004. The details were horrifying: she was partly naked, her hands were tied, and she looked like she had been raped and sexually assaulted. Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. was later found guilty of kidnapping with the intent to kill.
Where is Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. Now?
Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. was found guilty of kidnapping and killing Dru Sjodin on August 30, 2006, and the jury recommended that he be put to death. However, the case went to appeals, and shockingly, the death sentence was thrown out in 2021 because of false testimony. There would be no more death sentences on March 14, 2023, when officials said so. After that, Rodriguez was given a life sentence without the chance of parole on May 18, 2023. This ended a long legal fight that had been going on for years.
According to the most recent information, Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., now 70 years old, is serving his sentence at the United States Penitentiary in Coleman, located in Florida. Rodriguez was originally given the death punishment, but when it was overturned, his fate changed. He is now serving a life sentence without the chance of parole.
The case of Dru Sjodin changed the law forever and led to the creation of “Dru’s Law,” which set up the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry. Rodriguez’s admission of guilt in an interview while on death row and the following events in the appeals process show how difficult it can be to get justice in cases that get a lot of attention across the country.
