A 33-year-old central Minnesota man with a long criminal history was charged Monday in the deaths last week of his grandparents, a couple widely known and admired in their community.
Gregory A. Scheel, who lived with the couple at their home in Paynesville, was charged in Stearns County District Court with two counts of second-degree murder. His bail was set at $1.5 million ahead of an April 9 court hearing.
The bodies of Gloria Scheel, 80, and Wilbert "Willie" Scheel, 93, were found in their car early Thursday evening on a rural road near Games Lake in neighboring Kandiyohi County, roughly 20 miles west of their home.
Assistant County Attorney Joshua Kannegieter said that while a motive for the killing remained under investigation, authorities are "looking into a possible monetary motive or whether there are some [illicit] drug pieces to it."
Willie Scheel's arms and legs were bound and his head covered with a plastic bag, the criminal complaint read. Gloria Scheel had an electrical cord wrapped around her neck. Both were covered with a piece of carpet, the court document noted.
Their car smelled of gasoline, and parts of the interior were charred, the charges stated. The official cause and manner of death for the two are pending.
Law enforcement officers making a welfare check midday on Thursday at the couple's home, in the 1500 block of W. Mill Street, found blood on the garage floor, which appeared to recently have been cleaned, the complaint read. Willie Scheel was last seen a day earlier checking the mail.
A few hours after the car was found by law enforcement later in the day, the grandson was apprehended about a half-mile away. Footprints near the car were consistent with the pattern on his shoes, according to the charges.
