Court sentences Fort Ripley man for hit-and-run death of his wife (2024)

BRAINERD — A Fort Ripley man was sentenced Friday, May 17, for the hit-and-run murder of his wife, 49-year-old Angela Marie McClelland.

Tony James McClelland, 48, was charged July 12, 2023, with felony second-degree murder with intent but no premeditation, felony first-degree manslaughter and two counts of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the death of his wife, Angela McClelland, on a frontage road near Highway 371 in Fort Ripley Township south of Brainerd.

Contributed

Tony McClelland filed a plea of guilt Feb. 7 in Crow Wing County District Court.

In the plea, Tony McClelland admitted guilt to criminal vehicular homicide with negligence under the influence of alcohol. The other charges were dismissed at sentencing.

Tony McClelland and his attorneys, Jack Rice and Peter Lindstrom, appeared Friday before Judge Erik Askegaard in Crow Wing County District Court.

Rice argued for a downward departure in sentencing, telling the court he and Tony McClelland did not agree with the presentence investigation stating Tony McClelland did not show remorse for what he had done.

Rice told the court Tony McClelland was not one to wear his heart on his sleeve, as he was trying to keep it together and not unravel. Rice also said Tony McClelland was trying to move forward with his life and was not trying to forget what happened, informing the court that all six of Angela McClelland’s children were present in the courtroom.

“They are all dealing with this tragedy … and what they want should matter,” Rice said, telling the court three of her children wrote letters in support of the downward departure. “... The people who show up, show who we are.”

Following Rice’s argument, Assistant Crow Wing County Attorney Jaqueline Fogal called Crow Wing County Community Corrections Probation Agent Kayla O’Bryan to testify. O’Bryan informed the court she was the pre-sentence investigation report writer on the case and explained the extensive backgrounding they do when writing such a report for the court.

She told the court they met in March 2023 for the interview, saying that Tony McClelland was calm, relaxed and “even-keeled” during the interview. Telling the court, Tony McClelland said he wished he could take back what happened, as it had ruined many lives. However, O’Bryan pointed out that he said, “She ruined mine, too.”

O’Bryan said Tony McClelland did not have a lot of nice things to say about Angela McClelland.

As the report did not recommend a downward departure, Fogal asked O’Bryan how that decision was made.

O’Bryan said when a pre-sentence investigation involves a departure in sentencing, the recommendation is made by a team of 20 people who review the investigation before it is presented to the court.

Citing a lack of remorse to a particularly cruel action, O’Bryan told the court, “Probation cannot turn a blind eye to negligence.” The report recommended the court not depart and to sentence according to the state’s sentencing guidelines.

The defense did not cross-examine O’Bryan.

Continuing the state’s argument against the departure, Fogal told the court when law enforcement first spoke with Tony McClelland, he was not concerned and asked no questions about what happened to Angela McClelland.

Fogal then told the court the remorse Tony McClelland did or did not express should not matter, as he was not pleading to an intentional crime, the issue was whether he was negligent and drunk when the incident occurred.

Fogal said of Angela McClelland’s six children, two of the three letters in support of Tony McClelland’s departure were from Tony McClelland and Angela McClelland's children, and one was from Angela McClelland’s other children.

“The defense falls short of meeting the requirements of a downward departure,” Fogal said as she asked the court to follow the recommendations of the pre-sentencing investigation.

In rebuttal, Rice said the defense is only asking for the children's father to remain with them. He told the court Tony McClelland is doing the best he can as he moves forward in life.

With both the defense and state finished pleading their case, Askegaard asked if Tony McClelland would like to say anything.

“I just want to say sorry to the family,” Tony McClelland said.

Following a short recess, Askegaard informed the court he would not be issuing a downward departure and Tony McClelland would be sentenced in accordance with the pre-sentencing investigation report.

Askegaard said though he believed there was remorse, the standards for a downward departure were not met.

Tony McClelland was found guilty of felony criminal vehicular homicide with negligence and under the influence of alcohol and was sentenced to 48 months confinement in Correctional Facility St. Cloud. In Minnesota, a sentence consists of a minimum term of imprisonment equal to two-thirds of the total sentence, and supervised release equal to one-third of the total sentence.

He was fined $135 and received credit for 18 days already served in jail. The other charges were dismissed.

Criminal complaint against Tony McClelland

Contributed / Crow Wing County Jail

According to the criminal complaint filed against Tony McClelland, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office received a report at 5:41 a.m. June 25, 2023, of an unresponsive woman lying on Legend Lane. Responding deputies found the woman suffered significant trauma to her skull and had abrasions on her body consistent with being struck by a vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

While attempting to identify the victim, investigators learned Angela McClelland was reported missing by her daughter and confirmed the victim found on Legend Lane was Angela McClelland.

Investigators also learned Tony McClelland and Angela McClelland attended a birthday party at a residence in Fort Ripley the night before, arriving together between 4:30-6 p.m. and leaving about 1:30-2 a.m. in a Ford Explorer.

Law enforcement officers spoke with Tony McClelland at the residence he shared with Angela McClelland on Sleepy Hollow Road in Fort Ripley Township. When asked if he knew why officers were there, McClelland said, “yup,” according to the criminal complaint, and then proceeded to “vent about how (Angela McClelland) had ‘thrown a hissy fit … just like every other … day.’”

Tony McClelland said after the party while driving home he and Angela McClelland had an argument so he dropped her off along Matte Road, which is west of where Angela McClelland’s body was found on Legend Lane. He said he then drove home, went to bed and didn’t realize Angela McClelland hadn’t returned home until the next morning.

After getting a search warrant for the vehicle and cellphones, investigators inspected the Ford Explorer and found blood, tissue and a single strand of hair under the body of the vehicle. Tony McClelland told investigators they had not hit any animals with the vehicle recently. When asked specifically about the blood found under the vehicle, he responded Angela McClelland was being belligerent and he was worried she would put him in the ditch, according to the criminal complaint. When asked if the blood found under the vehicle would come back as Angela McClelland’s blood, Tony McClelland said something to the effect of, “I couldn’t tell ya if it will be her blood.”

DNA testing of blood matched Angela McClelland’s blood. Review of forensic data also contradicted Tony McClelland’s version of events about what roads he was driving the Ford Explorer after leaving the party. The data showed at 1:53 a.m. June 25 the vehicle was traveling on Legend Lane, stopped and then reversed at speeds up to 20 mph to where Angela McClelland’s body was located and stopped again. The vehicle then left the scene, reaching speeds over 100 mph before returning to their home on Sleepy Hollow Road.

On July 10, 2023, investigators questioned Tony McClelland about the forensic data placing him at the scene and suspected time of Angela McClelland’s death. Tony McClelland responded Angela McClelland had “gotten mad at him for looking at another woman and was grabbing the steering wheel,” according to the criminal complaint, but then said, “‘I don’t remember much after that,’ claiming he ‘was pretty drunk, too.’” Deputies then placed Tony McClelland under arrest.

TIM SPEIER, staff writer, can be reached on Twitter @timmy2thyme , call 218-855-5859 or email tim.speier@brainerddispatch.com .