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Charges in family sex-abuse case dropped; new charges filed
AITKIN (AP) - Charges have been dismissed against an Oakdale man who was accused of raping and terrorizing his niece repeatedly, but the niece's parents will continue to be prosecuted, the Aitkin County attorney said.
County Attorney Thomas Murtha IV dismissed the case against William Rassier, 65, on Monday. Murtha also dismissed charges against Daniel Rassier, 50, and Sherri Rassier, 43, of Palisade, but filed two new charges against the couple.
The Rassiers' 23-year-old daughter told investigators last year that she was regularly raped, sexually assaulted, choked, beaten and doused with bleach and hot grease at home from the time she was 3 years old until 2004.
Murtha's office originally filed a total of 59 charges against her parents and uncle. The defendants had protested, saying authorities hadn't looked into the young woman's documented history of emotional breakdowns and unfounded rape allegations against others.
The defendants also said they had documented alibis for the times when many of the acts allegedly occurred.
"I feel good, but I still feel we were wronged," William Rassier said after the charges against him were dismissed. The retired groundskeeper for 3M Corp. said if investigators had interviewed him, they would have found out that he was left impotent by prostate surgery.
During a pretrial hearing in July, Murtha asked for a delay so he could call a grand jury and have it examine the evidence. He said Monday that the grand jury had declined to indict William Rassier but had indicted Sherri Rassier on two counts of aiding sexual assault and Daniel Rassier on two counts of sexual assault.
Murtha then dismissed the original criminal complaints against all three defendants and said he would pursue only the indictments.
Attorneys for the parents requested transcripts of the secret grand jury proceedings to prepare for challenging the new charges.
District Judge John Leitner scheduled a pretrial hearing Oct. 9 on the new charges. Daniel Rassier remains free on bail. Sherri Rassier is free on her own recognizance.
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