Attorney General’s Office secures conviction in Kanabec County murder case

Dustin Tinklenberg pleads guilty to of 2nd-degree intentional murder of his 93-year-old grandmother Stella Anderson in September 2022

State accepts Norgaard plea of guilty due to Tinklenberg’s methamphetamine intoxication

August 16, 2023 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that his office has secured a guilty plea from Dustin Tinklenberg for 2nd-degree intentional murder in the September 2022 murder of his grandmother, 93-year-old Stella Anderson, in Kanabec County.  

The State accepted a Norgaard plea of guilty, which under Minnesota law may be entered if a defendant cannot remember committing a crime because of intoxication or amnesia. Tinklenberg was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time he murdered his grandmother Ms. Anderson and could not recall the events. 

Tinklenberg will be sentenced on November 13, 2023. As part of Tinklenberg’s guilty plea, the State will recommend a sentence of 312 months.  

On September 13, 2022, 93-year-old Stella Anderson was discovered by a family member in her home with significant injuries about her face and head that were caused by a sharp bladed object. Her grandson, Dustin Tinklenberg, who had a documented history of methamphetamine abuse, had been seen at Ms. Anderson’s home the evening of September 12 and yelling was heard coming from the residence. Tinklenberg was observed later that evening with an object on his belt consistent with a hatchet, which was later discovered to be missing from the home. Tinklenberg was arrested on September 13. He had no specific recollection of the events occurring the previous evening when his grandmother had been assaulted and killed. A blood draw taken pursuant to a search warrant confirmed methamphetamine in his system at the time of his arrest. 

Attorney General Ellison’s office prosecuted the case upon a referral from Kanabec County Attorney Barbara McFadden under Minnesota Statutes Sec. 8.01, which provides, “Upon request of the county attorney, the attorney general shall appear in court in such criminal cases as the attorney general deems proper.” Assistant Attorney General Daniel Vlieger led the State’s successful prosecution.  

“My thoughts are with Stella Anderson’s family today, whose lives were permanently changed because of this horrific murder. I hope this conviction brings them a sense of accountability and a step closer to healing,” Attorney General Ellison said. 

“I’m very proud of the attorneys in the Attorney General’s Office, the Kanabec County Attorney’s Office, investigators, and law enforcement who brought this case to a successful conviction. I’m also proud of our partnerships with county attorneys who are on the front lines of delivering justice to victims and communities. We stand at the ready to assist them and look forward to doing more with the new resources for criminal prosecution and appeals that the Legislature and Governor Walz have granted my office,” Attorney General Ellison added.  

The Kanabec County Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted in the investigation.