FARGO (KFGO) - A federal judge is being asked to order prosecutors in the Alfonso Rodriguez case to testify under oath about whether they knowingly presented, or failed to correct the false testimony of a key trial witness.
Rodriguez is on death row for the 2003 kidnapping and murder of Dru Sjodin.
Rodriguez's federal public defenders want to question former U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Norm Anderson. They claim that former Ramsey County Medical Examiner, Dr. Michael McGee, testified that Sjodin was raped, even though laboratory tests proved his testimony was "plainly and indisputably incorrect."
Defense attorneys also claim Wrigley used McGee's false testimony to convince the jury to impose the death penalty against Rodriguez. They say Wrigley argued at length that Rodriguez killed Sjodin to carry out a "sordid rape fantasy."
In addition, the motion requests the disclosure of all correspondence between the FBI, federal prosecutors and state and local law enforcement regarding the semen-related testing of swabs taken at the time of the autopsy.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Reisenauer tells KFGO News that the government will review the motion and respond accordingly.