On December 28, 1990, 29-year-old Julie Everson disappeared from her apartment in Hennepin, Minnesota. Six months later, her body was found buried in the backyard of the house belonging to her landlord, Russell Swart, where she rented the apartment. After the discovery of the body, Keith Bullock, another tenant, and Swart were arrested.
On the day Everson was last seen, Bullock and Everson fought over Bullock’s accusation that Everson had stolen money from him. The fight became physical and the police were called. While on the phone with the police, Bullock threatened to kill Everson if she did not leave. Bullock was arrested by the police, and Swart bailed him out of jail that night. On the day of the assault trial, Everson did not appear and Bullock was acquitted of the charges.
Everson’s mother became concerned after her daughter had been missing for six months and called the police. A search of the apartment and nearby grounds revealed her body in a three-foot grave, her wrists and ankles bound together with duct tape and a bag taped around her head. Swart and Bullock were both arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
With no apparent motive, Swart was acquitted of Everson’s murder in December of 1991. After Swart’s acquittal, Bullock pled guilty to second-degree murder on the advice of his attorney in order to avoid a longer sentence. The following day, at Bullock’s sentencing hearing, Swart, who was given immunity by the prosecution and could not be retried for the murder, confessed to killing Everson and testified that Bullock had nothing to do with it. Bullock was immediately released on April 28, 1992.
- Stephanie Denzel
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