After being arrested last Friday for violating the conditions of his release, Jeremy Giefer remains in the Blue Earth County Jail with bail set at $1 million.
Giefer was arrested in November for sexually assaulting his daughter. The case has gained wide publicity because of the pardon extraordinatory Geifer received in 2008 from the Minnesota Board of Pardons, chaired by Governor Pawlenty. The adminstration had oversight of reviewing the pardon.
Bluestem has received a number of emails asking who supplied letters of support for the application.
Three Vernon Center residents wrote letters dated November 28, 2007 (the pardon extraordinary would not be reviewed until Fall 2008 because concerns about a recent disorderly conduct conviction). Blue Earth County Commissioner Will Purvis, a incoming City council member Mark Streit, who is Maintenance Manager at Poet Biorefining in Lake Crystal and holds a two-year degree in Law Enforcement, and Good Thunder resident Susan Stoltzman wrote the letters.
A retired investigator with the county sheriff, Purvis wrote:
Governor Pawlenty:
I am a retired criminal investigater, who worked in law enforcement for 31 years. I have known Jeremy Giefer since he was a teenager. I interacted with Jeremy when he was a teenager and he always treated me with respect and was always truthful and willing to take responsibility for his mistakes. I was not involved in the investigation that resulted in his conviction for criminal sexual conduct, but I known that the victim in this case was voluntarily involved in a relationship with Jeremy and became pregnant. They are married and have two children and live in our community. I have seen him interact with his wife and children and he is a good husband and parent. Jeremy is a local businessman and good member of our community. I believe that his crime was the result of his immaturity.
I truly believe that Jeremy has matured and deserves a second chance. Please consider a pardon for his conviction.
Thank you for your consideration!
Respectfully Your
Will Purvis
According to a confidential source, Jeremy Giefer's out-of-wedlock child, from whom he pays court-ordered child support, was born just days later on December 17, 2007. Bluestem has sought more information about the family court decision, but the file cannot be located by staff at the Blue Earth County Justice Center.
Mark Streit also appears not have known about Giefer's affair with his next door neighbor. He wrote:
Governor Pawlenty,
My family and I have known Jeremy Giefer and his family for the last eight years. We have seen him interact as a husband and a father and have never seen a better one. He has become like a second dad to my children as they know they can go to him at any time and find a place of security. When we first met, Jeremy was open about what happened between him nd his wife at a young age and that he paid the price for it. I am very proud of the two of them because most would have went different directions and the child would have had a single parent or split parents.
Jeremy has become a great ctizen in our community as he has done a lot of volunteer work and is always willing to help promote our town. Lately he has opened his own business that has been very successful. Jeremy loves to teach the game of baseball and he is very good at this but our community ed had to let him go because of his mistake 14 years ago. Many parents did not like that because he was so good with the kids and taught them so much.
I am a friend of Jeremy's and always will be. I hate to see someone that learned from their mistake keep on getting punished for it. I believe Jeremy has shown and deserves a second chance with a full pardon of his crime. Thank you for hearing me on this subject.
Sincerely,
Mark Streit
Seven months later, and after the birth of his out-of-wedlock child, "never a better husband" Giefer would be involved in a prank in which an 18-year-old woman bared her breasts to a group of men in exchange for a bogus minor alcohol charge an off-duty police officer trumped up against her. The officer lost his job and was convicted of a minor charge for the stunt.
In a hand-written, notarized letter, Susan Stoltzman was more brief:
To whom it may concern:
I have personally [known] Jeremy Giefer for 8 years.
To the best of my knowledge, I find him a law abiding citizens [sic]. Jeremy has been active with children and local organizations that my children have participated in.
If you have questions and would like to conduct an interview, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Susan Stoltzman
Bluestem will continue to follow the Giefer case.
Photo: Jeremy and Susan Giefer.
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