Investigators honored for work in Riess case

More than three years after a murder took place outside of Blooming Prairie, the lead investigators in the case are being recognized for their work in solving the murder.
Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose has awarded Medal of Commendation Awards to Captain Jeff Brumfield and Investigator Ben Bohle for their work on the Lois Riess murder investigation. The awards were given out during the sheriff’s office holiday party and awards banquet on Dec. 3.
Bohle was the lead investigator on the case while Brumfield coordinated the investigation. Brumfield is the captain of the investigations unit.
“Historically, these have only been awarded to a select number of leaders within our organization who set the bar extremely high when it comes to their service and dedication, always going above and beyond,” said Rose, noting this was Brumfield’s second medal. He is the only staff member to receive two.
The sheriff’s office responded to the Riess residence in March 2018, where they found David Riess shot to death. The investigation found that David’s wife, Lois Riess, killed him before taking off to Florida, where she murdered another person.
Bohle and Brumfield handled the Minnesota investigation with assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Lois Riess is currently serving a life in prison without parole sentence at the Minnesota women’s prison in Shakopee.
Sheriff Rose also gave out a third Medal of Commendation to Matt Maas, who serves as the county’s emergency management director. Rose recognized Maas for his work assisting the state during the riots in Minneapolis in 2020.
During the banquet, Rose also recognized Sgt. Mike Karlen and Chief Deputy Mike Leonhardt for more than 30 years of service to the county.
There were also three lifesaving awards, four Narcan save awards and a stop stick award given out by the sheriff.
Rose said a committee, which meets regularly throughout the year to review suggestions from staff and the public, determines the awards.
“If you see one of our staff members going above and beyond in their duties and believe they should be recognized for it, contact our office,” Rose said.