Man Convicted of Murder Charged with Stalking, Threatening Northfield Woman

A Farmington man who was convicted of second-degree murder in 2001 has been charged with stalking a Northfield woman via text messages.

Andrew Michael Smith, 33, is charged with felony stalking, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine, and making terroristic threats, a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. 

According to the criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court, the victim contacted police Sept. 20 and said Smith had been harassing her and had sent her 20 text messages overnight, many of them “incoherent” and concerning people she didn’t know.

The woman went to the Northfield Safety Center and officers photographed the text messages, which began at about 3:30 p.m. Sept. 19 and continued until 2:30 a.m. Sept. 20.

The complaint quotes some of the text messages:

“Last words I’ll say to u is this … my path is not the way … go have fun with those dudes.”

“I’m saying I was coming to nfield with death in my heart … [name] and I have had words … if u go with them it will be worse … [expletive] it … I’m going to hell.”

“I want to kill or be killed for nothing right now. I want to die and its my fault. Just don’t go with those white power people ok.”

“Ur mom says ur happy and moved on ok. I chose my brother. I have to help this man. I’m sorry … or die together trying.”

The victim said she responded to several of Smith’s text messages, telling him she didn’t know who he was talking about and that he should forget about her and move on with his life. She said Smith told her that he was her god because he could take her life, and added, “They will never catch me.”

The victim and her mother returned to the Safety Center later that day and reported that Smith had sent the mother a message via Facebook, referring to someone by name and adding, “They disrespected me and they are gonna pay,” according to the complaint.

Smith also sent another text message to the victim which read, “You made your point. Don’t ever call the cops on me again. I won’t do anything about this but we are enemies,” the complaint said.

Friends of the victim reported to police that they had received Facebook messages from Smith, which included threatening statements and references to a .40-caliber weapon. One of the friends asked Smith if he was threatening them, and he replied, “I want war with u [expletive] … listen. I just got out for murder … u think I’m scared to go back or die …”

Police tracked down Smith at his mother’s Farmington home on Sept. 21, and he admitted sending the messages, according to the complaint.

Smith was convicted in 2001 of second-degree murder after he and several other people went to a Lakeville park with a baseball bat in August 2000, intending to fight. Smith admitted breaking the victim’s car window with the bat but said he didn’t know whether he had hit the victim; the victim’s body was found in the backyard of one of the fight participants the next morning, and authorities said he died of injuries consistent with being hit with a baseball bat.

Smith remains in the Dakota County Jail on a $150,000 bond and on a parole violation. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled Oct. 16 in Dakota County District Court in Hastings.

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