Two mothers who were charged after their sons were convicted of assaulting a Blue Earth Area football teammate in 2017 appear to have their cases coming to an end.
Mankato attorney Patrick Casey says while the court hasn’t addressed his client’s right to a speedy trial, he and Faribault County prosecutors have reached a deal.
“The state has agreed and we have accepted a six-month continuance for dismissal,” says Casey. “The only condition is that Shawna Barnett have not same or similar violations of law and this case will be dismissed in six months.”
Barnett, 47, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Renee Lee Nagel, 47, of Blue Earth each face four felonies for conspiring to cover up the assault committed by their sons and two other teens.
According to court documents filed in Faribault County District Court, the two were charged with aiding an offender; aiding an offender obstructing an investigation; conspiracy to aid an offender; and conspiracy to obstruct an investigation or prosecution.
Barnett and Nagel, “consulted each other and third parties about the assaults and worked to eliminate the risk of conviction for their sons and others,” says the complaint.
Subpoenaed text messages are cited as evidence, according to the court complaint, and a cellphone belonging to Barnett’s son reportedly disappeared before authorities could view video of the assault.
According to the court’s schedule, Barnett was scheduled to have an arraignment hearing on March 17.
Nagel’s next court appearance was a contested omnibus hearing set for April 26, but it was canceled and rescheduled to a plea hearing on March 29.Nagel’s attorney, Michael Kircher, did not respond to a request for comment.