O'KASICK REIGN OF TERROR

A Year Ago, 365 Day's

of Bloody Memories

By Martin Merrick
Minneapolis Star Staff Writer

A year ago tonight Roger O'Kasick, 26, commanded his brothers, Ronald, 24, and James, 20, in a holdup venture.
They had blackened theft faces and rigged the back seat of their stolen car with steel plating in case the police pursued and should fire at them.
Their target was the Red Owl store at 24th St. and Hennepin Av.
Little did they realize their plans would go awry and they'd become involved in one of Minnesota's most notorious crimes, and a sensational sequel.
Nor did Patrolmen Robert Fossum and Ward Canfield realize the impending danger when they took after a stolen car, occupied by the O'Kasicks.
The O'Kasicks skidded around the corner and struck a parked car at 39th St. and Blaisdell Av. Fossum and Canfield careened around the corner, caromed off a curb and spun in their police car.
The O'Kasicks and the officers got out of their cars. Fossum fell dead in a hall of bullets. Canfield also was felled, with a bullet in the lower abdomen.
As he lay in the street, the O'Kasicks got back into their car and ran over Canfield as they sped away. The officers clothing was caught in the bumper, and he was dragged 20 feet.
Ronald and James O'Kasick spent the night at the family home, 3909 S. 38th Av. Roger stayed over night in a room he rented at 3101 S. 36th AV. It was Saturday night, Aug. 17.
Next day they drove to the northern Minnesota woods to hide out. Several day's later they returned and hid out in the brush in Anoka County.
The police had not learned the Identity of the killers when the O'Kaslcks erupted the second time, 28 days after the slaying.
They got into a freakish scrape with Anoka county sheriff's deputies, wounded Deputy James A. Sampson, 30, and hustled to the nearby home of Eugene Lindgren, 30, a painter, on the Constance Rd., four miles north of Anoka.
Taking Lindgren hostage, they forced him to drive them in his car on a wild ride with state highway patrolmen in pursuit.
In a field of brush and willows on the Carlos Avery game farm, near Wyoming Minn., Lindgren was shot and killed. Highway Patrolman James Crawford killed Roger and Ronald with shotgun blasts.
James O'Kasick prayed and then shot himself near the heart. He recovered and told the story of the O'Kasick misdeeds.
He was sent to St. Cloud reformatory for the Fossum and Lindgren murders, plus 40 years for kidnapping a woman in flight from the Fossum murder.
Eventually he will be transferred to Stillwater prison. There is little chance he ever will be paroled.
Canfield, whose injuries included the gunshot wound, crushed chest, broken collarbones, fractured pelvis, dislocated hip and broken right knee, was near death several weeks.
But he survived the ordeal of 18 operations and the amputation of one leg in General hospital and is recuperating at home, 5740, Blaisdell Av.

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