Sjodin Boyfriend Was Braced for Worst News
April 19, 2004 -- The boyfriend of Dru Sjodin, the college student who went missing in November and whose body was found over the weekend, says he always held out hope that his girlfriend would be found alive — but he also braced himself for the worst news.
"Hope never left about finding Dru," Chris Lang told Good Morning America. "We wanted to find her alive as well, but unfortunately, we got the worst news. We had been out there for 5½ months and knowing what we may possibly find and unfortunately, that's what we wound up [finding]."
Searchers found the University of North Dakota student's body Saturday in a ravine near Crookston, Minn. — the hometown of Alfonso Rodriguez, who is accused of her kidnapping. Volunteers had previously searched the area several times but the snow-covered landscape had hidden Sjodin's remains. The beginning of the spring thaw enabled searchers to finally find Sjodin.
Sjodin, 22, had been missing since Nov. 22. She was last seen walking in the parking lot of the Columbia Mall in Grand Forks. She had left the Victoria's Secret store where she worked and was talking to Lang on her cell phone. Lang told police he heard Sjodin say "Oh my God" — and then the line went dead.
Something Good Out of Tragedy
Lang and Sjodin's family leaned on each other for support as weeks and months passed with investigators and searchers unable to find Dru. Lang was with Sjodin's family, helping them hand out food to volunteer searchers, when they learned Dru's body had been found. Though he was grief-stricken, Lang said he was happy to have been with loved ones at that time.
"It was actually probably the best way I could find out the news," he said. "I was there with her family and mine, and bittersweetly, it was — I couldn't have written a better way to find out the horrible news."
Despite his girlfriend's slaying, Lang said he does not feel disillusioned by human nature. Instead, he remains astounded and grateful to the thousands of volunteers who helped look for Sjodin. And he will always love Sjodin.
"I believe it is a good world, and you find that out when you see all these wonderful people come together — the community at Grand Forks [North Dakota] and all the way around the world," Lang said. "You have to take something good out of this tragedy, and that is the human spirit can transcend all."
"I will miss Dru dearly," Lang continued. "But she'll be in my heart forever."
Federal Charges — and the Death Penalty — Ahead?
Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., a 51-year-old convicted sex offender, was released from prison last May after serving a23-year sentence for an attempted kidnapping and assault of a womanin 1980. He has pleaded not guilty in Sjodin's kidnapping but could face murder charges.
According to reports, federal prosecutors could take over the case because Sjodin's body was found in Minnesota, which suggests her kidnapping and slaying involved the crossing of state lines. North Dakota and Minnesota do not have capital punishment but federal law allows the death penalty in kidnapping-murder cases. Both Minnesota U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger and North DakotaU.S. Attorney, Drew Wrigley said over the weekend that it was too early todiscuss whether federal murder charges would be pursued.
Rodriguez's lawyer says he has denied any involvement in Sjodin's disappearance. In preliminary hearings since his arrest, prosecutors have indicated they have evidence — including surveillance tapes — placing Rodriguez at the mall around the same time they believe Sjodin vanished. Investigators have said they matched spots of blood found in Rodriguez's car to Sjodin's DNA.