by April Scheinoha
Editor
The release of a Kennedy woman’s mental health records was at the center of a Kittson County District Court hearing in a murder case Wednesday, Sept. 3.
Jordan Carol Hanson, 23, has been charged with two felony offenses of second degree murder in the March 13 death of Justin Esparza. One of the charges alleges that she caused Esparza’s death without premeditation while the other alleges she caused his death while committing second degree assault with a dangerous weapon. Hanson remains incarcerated at the Pennington County Jail on behalf of Kittson County.
Esparza, 43, was found dead at his Hallock home March 13, according to the complaint. He had been shot in the head. Hanson’s family members reported the shooting after she had allegedly spoken to them about the shooting. Law enforcement later interviewed the man who said he had witnessed Hanson shooting Esparza. (The complaint only identifies Esparza by his initials; however, family members later identified him as the individual who had been shot.)
On Wednesday, Sept. 3, Hanson’s attorneys sought records from the Kittson County Social Services Department pertaining to its work with Hanson. Scott Collins, one of two Ninth District assistant public defense attorneys representing Hanson, said his client has signed a release for the information. The Social Services Department has prepared the documentation. However, there is a fee associated with the copies and the defense is seeking to have the fee waived.
If Hanson’s attorneys were to seek funding through the court, Collins said Kittson County would have to provide the funding to her defense team. The latter would then give the money back to the county as payment for the copies.
Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Dan Vlieger voiced reservations about the state having access to the records sought by the defense. He indicated the state wouldn’t be entitled to obtain such records if such records haven’t been directly requested by the defense. Mental health records are protected, said Vlieger, who is prosecuting the case with Assistant Kittson County Attorney Kaitlyn Bjornson. He added that he didn’t know how to respond to the defense’s request to waive the fee.
Judge Tamara Yon took the matter under advisement. She said she planned to issue a decision quickly.
According to the complaint, he charges stemmed from a report to the Kittson County Sheriff’s Office at about 1:27 p.m. March 13. Hanson’s mom reported that her daughter had allegedly shot Esparza in the head and she wanted to talk to Chief Deputy Dave Thompson or Sheriff Matt Vig. She said her daughter, who had recently been under the care of a treatment center for drugs, was with her at her home. She said someone had picked Hanson up from the treatment center during the night and had driven her to Kittson County. She said Hanson possessed Esparza’s vehicle and dog.
Hanson, who allegedly sounded as if she was under the influence of drugs, then spoke on the phone with Thompson, saying she wanted to talk to him in person. She, too, mentioned something about having the Esparza’s car and dog.
About a minute after their mom called the sheriff’s office, Hanson’s sister called 911. She said her sister had apparently shot Esparza, and she wanted someone to check on him.
Hallock Police Chief Mike Docken, Vig and two deputies went to Esparza’s house, where they found him deceased at about 1:34 p.m. March 13. He was lying partially on a couch and the floor. They observed a significant amount of blood on his head, around Esparza’s head and on the floor. A semiautomatic Smith & Wesson handgun was found on the couch a couple of feet from Esparza’s body. A casing was found on the floor next to the couch. No one else was found at the home.
Thompson, the chief deputy, arrived at the home of Hanson’s mom at about 1:39 p.m. Thursday. Hanson was outside when he arrived. He soon informed her that she was under arrest for homicide. Hanson allegedly told Thompson that he had lost weight. She didn’t make any sense, asking “what all the sugar beets were doing on the ground,” according to the complaint. Her family told Thompson that Hanson was “completely delusional from using drugs.”
When again asked if she knew why she was under arrest, Hanson allegedly said it was because she had shot the chief deputy and she was sorry.