Man sentenced to 25.5 years for role in Mille Lacs County homicide

An Isle man involved in a Mille Lacs County homicide two years ago has been sentenced to more than 25 years in prison.

Bradley Allen Weyaus Jr., 23, was charged with one count of second-degree murder, one count of fleeing police in a motor vehicle and two counts of interfering with a dead body or scene of death — one count for concealing a body and the other for concealing evidence.

Weyaus was convicted of the second-degree murder charge, and all other counts were dismissed. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 25.5 years (306 months) in prison.

RELATED: Isle man charged with murder, concealing a body in Mille Lacs County homicide

As previously reported, highway workers found human remains inside a tote bin along the shoreline of Mille Lacs Lake in March 2023.

Mille Lacs County officials identified the victim as 25-year-old Rodney Pendegayosh Jr. of Isle.

According to the statement of probable cause, investigators found Weyaus had “been seen several times in the area,” had a white Saturn and also had “an unusually heavy storage container bound with bungee cords and industrial tape.”

The document goes on to say public works employees were clearing an area on Twilight Road near Mille Lacs Lake when they found an abandoned storage container. They tried to move it but found it was extremely heavy. When they opened it, employees say they found “a severed human foot.”

RELATED: Homicide investigation underway after highway workers find human remains near Mille Lacs Lake

While responding to the scene, an investigator activated the vehicle’s emergency lights and encountered a white Saturn headed in the same direction, the complaint states. Instead of pulling over due to the lights being activated, the driver of the Saturn continued at a high rate of speed.

A chase then began and continued in the location of the container. The driver then turned away from Twilight Road, headed in the direction of Highway 169 and was followed by other responding units while the investigator broke off and headed to the tote’s location.

Weyaus eventually abandoned his vehicle on Southport Road and hid in a building on the property, where he was then arrested by police. Officers say they found two duffel bags containing a hammer, industrial tape, a hacksaw and a spent shotgun shell at the arrest scene.

RELATED: Deputies identify ‘person of interest’ arrested after human remains found near Mille Lacs Lake

Officers found Weyaus had been staying at a woman’s home on Main Street in Isle and had been seen with a storage container at that location. While searching the residence, officials found multiple areas of carpet had been removed, as well as a handwritten note to the woman, which apologized for causing her trouble and stated the author “would be leaving for a long time due to their mistake.”

While searching a dumpster connected to the residence, the complaint says officers found several pieces of stained carpet — which appeared to match the carpet inside — in trash bags. Also inside the bags were empty boxes for 12-gauge shotgun shells, the victim’s identification card, a receipt from an area hardware store that listed tools, rubber gloves and industrial tape.

A second female had been contacted by Weyaus, described as an associate of his significant other, a third female. Their ages and names weren’t provided.

The second female then allegedly drove to meet Weyaus around March 19, 2023, where he asked for a ride to buy the white Saturn. Before leaving the Main Street residence, the complaint states Weyaus and the significant other removed a storage container that was wrapped with tape and bungee cords from the residence and put it inside the second female’s vehicle.

According to the complaint, the second female drove Weyaus and his significant other, as well as the container, to her Wahkon home, where it was unloaded. It goes on to say the woman then drove Weyaus to the location of the Saturn’s then-owner, where he bought it and drove away.

While searching the storage container, investigators found the body of a deceased male whose foot had been cut off, carpet parts that matched the type found in the home on Main Street and in the nearby dumpster. In addition, they say there were gloves inside it and the container was wrapped with tape — both items that matched the description of items listed on the receipt found inside the trash bags.
The post Man sentenced to 25.5 years for role in Mille Lacs County homicide first appeared on KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News.