Wright County Sheriff’s Office investigators held a press conference Thursday afternoon to inform the public of two people of interest sought in an attempted murder case at a Franklin Township park.
Cheyenne Clough, 19, of Buffalo was discovered “clinging to life,” according to friends and family on social media, near the entrance of Crow Springs Park near Rockford.
According to the sheriff’s department, two “persons of interest” were seen in the vicinity of the area and are not, at this time, classified as supects. One is Justin Michael Jensen, 28, of Maple Lake. The other is a 33-year-old female named Natasha Leanne Brandenburger of Buffalo.
Wright County Sheriff’s Office are also asking for assistance in locating a vehicle – a 2008 white Honda Accord that initially had Iowa plates, but police suspect could now have a unknown plate. The Iowa plate number was AXK248.
The initial investigation indicates that Cheyenne Clough was assaulted and sustained life-threatening injuries sometime between the evening of Tuesday, May 31 and the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 1. Cheyenne was last seen in the early afternoon of Tuesday, May 31st, at a residence located on the 200 block of Birch Ave NW in the City of Maple Lake.
Natasha Brandenburger
Justin Jensen
That area has involved the police and one of the suspects in previous years. In the fall of 2014, Jensen was arrested in an organized raid at a home involving the hallucinogen NBOMe, also known as “N-Bomb.” Police apprehended Jensen for 3rd degree possession of a controlled substance and child endangerment in that raid.
RELATED: Wright County Raid Leads to N-Bomb Bust
Both “persons of interest” have been arrested and charged on multiple misdemeanors. Brandenburg’s are mostly of the traffic/motor vehicle variety, including driving without insurance. Beyond the arrest for drugs, Jensen has also been charged and convicted on charges of disorderly conduct (fighting), domestic abuse, drug possession and obstruction of the legal process, all in Wright County.
The Wright County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the public’s assistance with providing any information as to circumstances surrounding Cheyenne Clough’s assault and to her whereabouts during the aforementioned time period.
Lt. Todd Hoffman, in the press conference, stated the crime was not “random” and that the incident may involve “drug culture.” He also said the investigation, for now, is running on the belief Clough was beaten at Crow Springs Park, but that presumption isn’t concrete.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Wright County Sheriff’s Office communication center at 763-682-1162, WCSO Investigative Tip Line at 763-682-7733, or through Crime Stoppers of Minnesota at www.crimestoppersmn.org