Two sex offenders who escaped from the same Minnesota treatment facility within a span of eight days are now facing felony charges, according to court records.
Both men—Steven Loren Edwards, 53, and Beau-Jacob Edward Zimmer, 45—were civilly committed to the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) in St. Peter and housed in its Community Preparation Services (CPS) unit, an unlocked and less restrictive facility intended for clients nearing release.
‘Dummy in the bed’ trick
Edwards, who escaped on May 16, is charged with two counts of felony escape from custody.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Nicollet County, Edwards created a dummy in his bed and placed his GPS ankle monitor on it before slipping out of the facility undetected. He later contacted an acquaintance and was driven to a casino in Iowa before being dropped off at a hotel in Albert Lea, where he purchased a vehicle.
Law enforcement located him two days later in Missouri at his mother’s home, where he was taken into custody. His bail is set at $500,000.
Knife and bike used in escape
Zimmer, who escaped on May 9, is also charged with two felony counts of escape from custody.
Prosecutors say he cut off his GPS monitor with a kitchen knife—which he had taken from the facility—and left the grounds on a bicycle. He was found later that morning walking along a rural road west of St. Peter, still carrying the knife in his sweatshirt pocket.
The facility’s GPS monitoring system and surveillance footage helped officials identify the timing and details of both escapes.
DHS says it’s the first, second time escape happened
Until Zimmer’s escape, CPS had never had a resident leave without authorization since it opened in 2008, according to the Department of Human Services, which oversees MSOP.
The two incidents have prompted renewed scrutiny of DHS policies for monitoring individuals housed in CPS, especially in light of the fact that both men were committed as sexually dangerous persons.
DHS has not yet responded to questions from Alpha News about whether policy changes or internal reviews are underway.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
