Happy ending, not so happy
By Crime Watch MN, Sept. 27, 2022
A Minneapolis pair is facing murder charges after an apparent erotic massage meet up in Inver Grove Heights went terribly wrong.
Logan David Slack and Fotini Anest West, both 25 and both from Minneapolis, are each facing charges of second-degree intentional murder and second-degree murder while committing a felony following the shooting death of Michael Chang-Beom Lee, 43, at his Inver Grove Heights home early Saturday morning.
Inver Grove Heights police reported that they responded after 2 a.m. Saturday to a 911 hang-up call. They arrived at the residence on the 2100 block of 78th Court East where they located a male who was obviously deceased.
Charges say other officers located a vehicle nearby containing individuals eventually identified Slack and West, as well as a third person. Officers observed that West was covered in blood on her chest, arms and hands.
When police asked West what happened, she said she went to a man’s house and when she attempted to leave the residence, the man assaulted her. She described the man as being Asian. She believed she called Slack and the next thing she remembered was Slack physically carrying her out of the man’s residence. The officer inquired of West where she was bleeding and West showed the officer several cuts under both her arms near her biceps.
Officers out with Slack and West were informed of the deceased person inside the victim’s residence. One of the officers at the scene of the vehicle stop was requested by officers at the victim’s residence to check Slack’s shoe soles to determine whether the tread matched bloody shoe prints found in victim’s residence. The officer took a picture of the soles and sent them to officers at the victim’s residence. The same officer subsequently transported Slack to the Inver Grove Heights Police Department. When Slack exited the officer’s squad, the officer noticed a large lump in the front of Slack’s sweatshirt pocket which was determined to be the soles of Slack’s shoes he was wearing.
During a jailhouse interview, Slack offered the following statement:
Slack dropped West off at Victim’s residence for the purpose of performing an erotic massage on Victim in exchange for money. West exited Victim’s residence and reported to Slack that Victim assaulted her and was canceling payment for the services agreed upon. Slack obtained a revolver from the SUV and forced entry into the residence by breaking the glass of the back door using the butt of his gun. West entered the residence with Slack. Upon entering the residence, Victim retreated to a bathroom in the basement and locked the door. Slack and West ran after Victim to confront him. Slack broke a large hole in the bathroom door. Victim called 911 during the confrontation. Victim attempted to grab West through the hole in the door. Slack raised his revolver and pulled the trigger. The revolver was set on an empty chamber, so he pulled the trigger a second time and shot Victim in the back. Slack shot Victim to stop him from calling 911 and to obtain Victim’s cell phone to ensure electronic payment for the massage. After the shooting, West entered the bathroom and took Victim’s phone and they both fled the residence.
Charges say the SUV was seized and subsequently searched. During the search, a revolver was located under the driver’s seat; and a cell phone with blood on it matching the description of victim’s cell phone was located under the front passenger seat.
The third person in the vehicle with Slack and West was originally arrested and booked, but the Dakota County Attorney’s statement said it was determined that he was not involved in the murder and was subsequently released.
Slack and West made their first appearance Tuesday before Judge Thomas Pugh. Bail was set in the amount of $1,000,000 without conditions ($700,000 with conditions) for Slack and his next court appearance is October 5, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. in Hastings. Bail in the amount of $1,000,000 without conditions ($300,000 with conditions) was set for West and her next court appearance is October 5, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. in Hastings. Both remained in custody as of Tuesday night.
Slack was just charged earlier this month with a gross misdemeanor count of carrying a pistol without a permit.
Charges in that case say police found the pistol on Slack when he pulled up to the hospital with a gunshot victim after a shooting we posted on Sept. 11 at 21st and Elliot Avenue in Minneapolis. Court and jail records show Slack was released on Sept. 13 pre-trial on zero bail required.
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