ROCHESTER — A Rochester, Minnesota, man was arrested Wednesday, Dec. 28, in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found in a ditch.
Kimberly Robinson, of Rochester, was found Monday, Dec. 26, 2022, in a ditch in Cascade Township by a woman walking her dog near River Bluff Lane Northwest and West River Road. When the dog started pulling on its leash, the woman looked down and saw what she thought was an arm.
The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call at 4:24 p.m. in the 5100 block of West River Road. The body was found about 20 to 25 feet off the road, Capt. James Schueller of the Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.
Schueller described the death as suspicious because of how and where the body was found, adding that the body was moved to the ditch where it was found.
At a Thursday, Dec. 29, news conference, Sheriff Kevin Torgerson said Mustafa Rahsad Bush, 39, of Rochester, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder.
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The autopsy results won’t be released for weeks, Torgerson said, but investigators believe a firearm was used in Robinson's death.
Robinson and Bush were acquaintances, Torgerson said, and were together at some point over the holiday weekend. Bush was identified as a person of interest in the case, and investigators contacted his family in order to get Bush to voluntarily meet with investigators.
Bush was questioned Wednesday night, Dec. 28. He declined to give a statement and was placed under arrest, Torgerson said.
The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department, the violent crime enforcement team and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension executed three search warrants Wednesday in an effort to find additional evidence, such as a gun.
Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem said Bush could make his first court appearance next week, though he said it’s too early to comment on what charges would be brought against Bush.
Bush was previously convicted in the 2006 murder of Cory Richardson at Richardson's northwest Rochester home. Bush is on supervised release after serving two-thirds of his sentence in prison.
“I think it’s way, way, way too early to comment about whether or not that information would be used at all in this case,” Ostrem said about Bush’s prior conviction impacting possible charges in Robinson’s death.
Because he’s on supervised release, the Minnesota Department of Corrections will begin work to keep Bush detained despite any bail amounts that may be ordered in his current case.
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While Bush is considered innocent until proven guilty, the seriousness of the allegations warrant continued detention, said Olmsted County Senior Probation Supervisor Alex Bunger.
"It just slows things down until we get a clearer picture," he said.
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