Sawyer County man arrested, accused of concealing wife's corpse

Jimmy Lovrien, Duluth News Tribune, Minn.
·2 min read

Apr. 8—A 43-year-old man has been arrested, accused of concealing his wife's dead body in a Sand Lake residence last week.

Timothy Patrick Elkin was arrested and booked into Sawyer County Jail on April 2, the same day Cary Lynne Elkin, 42, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds in a home on Hungry Lake Lane.

Sawyer County Sheriff Doug Mrotek said in an email to the News Tribune on Thursday that he was arrested for "Concealing a Corpse in connection with the death of Cary L. Elkin," and that the two were married.

Mrotek said the case was being investigated as a homicide and that there were suspects, but he was "unable to give any further details to not jeopardize the integrity of the investigation."

As of Thursday morning, formal charges against Elkin had not been filed. He was being held at the Sawyer County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond.

According to a probable cause statement filed Monday, a man who said he was a friend of Timothy Elkin called Sawyer County dispatch at 12:29 a.m. on April 2 to report he was at Elkin's house when he walked into the bedroom to find Cary "deceased without a head."

The friend said he had been at the house with Elkin at 7 p.m. on April 1 after Elkin asked him to ride with him and check on Cary because it had been a few days since he last heard from her.

After finding the body, "they both left and agreed to call the police," the probable cause statement said. "(The friend) said he couldn't sleep and that he was freaked out and decided to call the police because he knew Timothy didn't."

Upon arrival, Sheriff Department deputies found teeth, a partial jaw bone and skull fragments in the bedroom. They then secured the house as a crime scene.

Deputies also saw a note on the refrigerator that said "I pistol whipped that b—, worth it" and "I ain't payin for it."

While they were at the home, deputies were informed Elkin was texting the friend and told him he was on his way to Hayward to report the incident. Members of the Hayward Police Department located Elkin leaving the Kwik Trip in Hayward, conducted a traffic stop and detained him.

"Timothy did admit that he did locate Cary earlier in the day however did not report the incident," the probable cause statement said. Phone records show he told his friend "he needed a few hours to clean things up," the statement said.

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