Local media across Minnesota are reporting that DJ and promoter Adam Thorpe – whose death was reported last week – was the victim of a double homicide in Beltrami County, Minnesota. One man is in custody and is likely to be charged in connection with his death.

Update: Three Charged in Murder of Minneapolis DJ Adam Thorpe

Thorpe’s remains were found with those of Jason J. McDonough in a firepit in Eckles Township near Bemidji, the Star Tribune’s Paul Walsh is reporting. Thorpe and McDonough were said to have been traveling together.

One man is in custody on probation violations and prosecutors are “weighing murder charges against him,” according to the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office.

The Bemidji Pioneer identifies the property where the remains were found as a mobile home, and states that a missing person’s report which had been filed for Thorpe and McDonough lead to the discovery of their vehicle at Palace Casino in Cass Lake. Subsequent “persons of interest” were traced to the mobile home, where the man in custody was staying.

In a subsequent report, the Pioneer’s Jordan Shearer identifies the suspect being held as Darren L. Stebe. Stebe is listed on the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office page as a 44 year old man who has been in custody since February 5.

Shearer quotes Beltrami County Sheriff Ernie Beitel saying that investigators have been working to establish “a motive and timeline of events leading up to the discovery” of Thorpe and McDonough’s remains, with charges against Stebe pending the completion of the investigation.

Thorpe was a beloved figure in the Minneapolis house music scene. Minneapolis promoters HotDish paid tribute to Adam, who “had a huge impact on HotDish and we made certain he played our very first show at First Avenue those many years ago.

“He was a Minneapolis ARCHETYPE of house music. He was a person of approachability to all of us. He put ego aside to bring people together around the music. He rocked vinyl until the clubs stopped providing decks, which was proof of his emblematic love for a culture that binds us…and its history. He is history in this city, having playing some of the earliest underground parties, always representing the core origins of house,” they wrote.

We had previously learned some of the details of Thorpe’s disappearance after being directed to posts on Facebook by friends of Adam’s, but determined not to publish anything until police had issued a statement or local press had reported the details.

Our sincere condolences go out to Adam and Jason’s families and friends as they face this profound and tragic loss.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

2 COMMENTS

Comments are closed.