Post office letter case may head to trial
By Kurt Nesbitt Staff WriterNEW ULM - The case involving a former New Ulm woman who is accused of sending threatening letters to area post offices and a newspaper earlier this year may head to trial this summer, but her attorney said she plans to challenge aspects of the case before that date.
Andrea George, senior litigator for the Federal Defense Office in Minneapolis, said she thinks it too early to talk about what legal issues are present in the case.
George said she plans to make a motion challenging the federal government's evidence at a hearing in Minneapolis on May 27.
George said she is presently waiting for discovery- disclosure of evidence, such as statements and police reports, in preparation for trial- from the government before she makes her motion.
George represents Christina Anne Reineke, 38, of Faribault, who was accused April 2 of two counts of mailing threatening communications.
Reineke is accused of sending letters threatening to bomb post offices in Mankato, North Mankato, Lake Crystal, Madelia, New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, Le Center and St. James on Feb. 5 and sending similar letters on March 16 to post offices in Northfield, Dundas, Faribault, Warsaw, Kenyon, Medford and Owatonna and to the post office in Morristown and the Faribault Daily News on March 24.
The letters reportedly threatened to blow up all 16 post offices in a "synchronized manner" as well as the newspaper headquarters and gave a time frame of "next week."
The first eight letters are said to have been mailed from New Ulm. The rest of them allegedly were mailed from Faribault.
"There are significant mental health issues involved in this case and absolutely no ability to carry out the threats alleged in the indictment," said George.
David Anderson, communications director for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minneapolis, said Reineke pleaded not guilty at an arraignment.
The case is tentatively set for trial beginning on July 6, he said.
George said Reineke is still in custody at the Sherburne County Jail without bail because of a hold placed on her by the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Reineke was on probation at the time she was arrested on March 27.
