Deceased Lake Crystal Woman Identified

The deceased has been identified as 57-year-old Kristi Joy Gardner of rural Lake Crystal. The provisional report from the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office lists the manner of death as
homicide and the cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds.

Early in the investigation, law enforcement determined that Kristi Gardner had been involved in a relationship with 64-year-old Gary Mark Rodewald of New Ulm and began efforts to locate him
overnight.

Gary Rodewald was located in a vehicle inside a garage at his residence in New Ulm. The Brown, Lyon, Redwood and Renville County Emergency Response Unit (BLR-ERU) was called to assist
because of the nature of the investigation and involvement of a firearm.

BLR-ERU made contact with Gary Rodewald just before 6:00 am and found him unresponsive due to an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Gary Rodewald was transported by ambulance to a regional hospital in Minneapolis and remains unresponsive in the intensive care unit.

Numerous law enforcement agencies and medical personnel throughout the area assisted in the initial response and continued investigation. The incident remains under investigation by the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the MN BCA.