Fletcher to be released Oct. 8

By Jean Doran Matua
EditorLevel-3 sex offender will live near Kimball

On Monday, Oct. 8, Shawn Michael Fletcher – a level-3 sex offender – will be released from Stillwater state prison to live in rural Maine Prairie Township. This release will happen on-schedule, regardless of a current strike by state employees that includes Department of Corrections (DOC) workers.

A community notification meeting will be held Wednesday night, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. in the Kimball Elementary school gymnasium. The purpose of the meeting is to inform the community of the impending release, to provide information about Fletcher, and to advise members of the community how to be prepared and safe. This meeting will be conducted jointly by Stearns County Sheriff Jim Kostreba, a Stearns County deputy, a representative of the Minnesota Department of Corrections, and an adovcate from the Sexual Assault Center in St. Cloud. Dr. Jerry Wetterling (father of Jacob Wetterling who disappeared from St. Joseph 12 years ago) will also participate in the meeting.

Shawn Fletcher, age 25, has served more than 4 years in Still-water prison for first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a girl under the age of 13. He is classified a “level 3” sex offender – the most serious category – as most at risk to re-offend. More information will be provided at Wednesday’s meeting about this. (Fletcher’s prison caseworker and probation officer can answer many of these questions, but both are on strike. Supervisors and management are handling cases during the strike.)

Fletcher will be released next week under “intensive supervision”, according to Stearns County Sheriff Jim Kostreba. There will be restrictions placed on him, and conditions he must meet. This supervision, Kostreba said, will be under the State DOC.

Fletcher attended Kimball Area High School, and will be living in the northeast corner of Maine Prairie Township. His work activities will be under the supervision of his probation officer.

The most important thing at this point is to not panic or overreact. There are already several sex offenders living in our community. They have always been with us and always will. Informing the public should not be confused with inciting the public. Scott Enger, a Stearns County probation agent who deals with sexual offenders, warned that if communities abuse the right to be informed, we could actually lose that right.

Everyone in the community is invited and encouraged to attend the meeting Wednesday night, Oct. 3, to have their questions and concerns answered.

NOTE: AT THE OFFENDER LOCATOR WEB SITE YOU CAN LOCATE ANY REGISTERED LEVEL 3 SEX OFFENDER IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. THIS WILL ALSO GIVE YOU THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION ON SHAWN FLETCHER, INCLUDING UPDATED PHOTO(S). YOU CAN BOOKMARK THEIR SITE AND CHECK IT REGULARLY FOR UPDATES.
http://info.doc.state.mn.us/publicviewer/main.asp