A judge ruled Friday not to lower the bond of a woman facing life in prison in connection with a March murder at a Grand Forks truck stop, but her attorney said the case could have "federal implications."
Krystal Lynn Feist, 31, was charged with murder, a Class AA felony. She's been held at the Grand Forks County Correctional Center since police found Austin Brant Forsman, 24, of Grand Forks dead in a vehicle on March 11 at the Flying J truck stop at 4401 32nd Ave. S.
At her first court appearance, Judge Lolita Romanick set her bond at $500,000.
But Feist had a court hearing Friday afternoon in an attempt to reduce her bond.
"She just doesn't have that," said Samuel Gereszek, Feist's appointed attorney.
ADVERTISEMENT
Gereszek argued Feist does not have a history of not showing up to her hearings. She's lived in the Grand Forks area her entire life, and her mother would be willing to serve as third-party custody, he said, with the help of GPS tracking.
As Feist listened via video from Grand Forks County Correctional Center at the hearing, Gereszek explained not being able to see her children has taken its toll, and her main concern is to handle their custody issues.
"Until that's taken care of, she's going to be of little help to her defense," Gereszek said.
But the prosecution, represented by Mark Jason McCarthy, rejected that request, arguing the bond should be at what the prosecution originally requested, $1 million.
"This is the most serious case that the court will face," McCarthy said. "... The victim's dead, judge."
He referred to Feist's criminal history and the "strength" of the current case with two eye witnesses to the alleged incident.
After hearing both sides, Hager noted the seriousness of her charge and ordered her bond will remain at $500,000. Her next court appearance is 9 a.m. Monday.
At her Friday hearing, Gereszek suggested there were "federal implications" in the case.
ADVERTISEMENT
"She's looking at a long fight, whether it's in state court or federal court," Gereszek said.
Feist is not charged in federal court in connection to the incident, but there is a federal case linked in court documents to the death of Forsman.
Eight people are accused of conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of meth in Minnesota and North Dakota and were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance: Vaughn Michael Scott, 35; Aaron Lee Morado, 26; Christopher Alan Anderson, 36; Darla Kay Jerome, 37; Modesto Alfredo Torrez, 34; Andrew Robert Wiley, 26; Ryan Scott Franklin, 27; and Andrew Neil Hills, 42.
Court documents accuse the defendants of using actual violence or threats of violence to further the conspiracy.
"This includes, but is not limited to, the murder of A.B.F. on or about March 11 in Grand Forks," the indictment states.
The reference is likely to the murder of Forsman. Police did not investigate another homicide that day in Grand Forks, Lt. Derik Zimmel said.
