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Description
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Profile of Serial Killer Michael Shane Lefthand

Early Life and Initial Criminal Accusations

Michael Shane Lefthand, born on July 27, 1960, in Duluth, Minnesota, first encountered legal troubles in 1980. He was accused of murdering an unidentified victim in South Dakota. However, he was acquitted of this charge and subsequently relocated to Fargo, North Dakota.

Confirmed Murders

Lefthand's criminal activities escalated, leading to several confirmed murders:
  • Harlen Christensen
    • Date: November 12, 1985
    • Location: Fargo, North Dakota
    • Details: Lefthand, accompanied by friends Charles Bush, Eugene Littlewind, and Kenneth TeJohn, encountered 37-year-old Harlen Christensen, a local with mental health issues. They led Christensen to railroad tracks near the Red River, where Lefthand brutally beat and stomped him to death. The body was then placed on the tracks, intending for a train to conceal the crime. Initially, the case went cold due to a lack of suspects.
  • Ronald St. Germain and John Loons
    • Date: October 5, 1990
    • Location: Duluth, Minnesota
    • Details: After a domestic dispute with his pregnant girlfriend, Lisa Morgan, during which he attempted to slash her throat, Lefthand fled their shared apartment. Later that day, he broke into another apartment in the same building, attacking 50-year-old Ronald St. Germain and 40-year-old John Loons. Both victims suffered severe stab wounds, beatings, and had their throats slashed.

Arrest and Investigation

Lefthand was apprehended on October 11, 1990, for the murders of St. Germain and Loons, as well as the attempted murder of Lisa Morgan and her unborn child. During interrogations, he implicated himself in the 1985 murder of Christensen and claimed responsibility for additional homicides in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Texas. However, authorities could not corroborate these additional confessions. ...Read More
Victims
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Confirmed Victims: (3)
  • Harlen Christensen Age: (37), Date of Death: November 12, 1985
  •     ...View 2 additional victims
    Suspected Victims:
  • Unnamed victim , Date of Death: 1980

  • Survivors:
  • Lisa Morgan Age: (33), Date of Attack: October 5, 1990
  • Killer's Details

    Michael Shane

    Lefthand

    July 27, 1960 (age 64) Duluth, Minnesota, United States

    Male

    Native American

    Murder, Attempted murder

    Life imprisonment (North Dakota and Minnesota), Acquitted (South Dakota)

    3 - 4+

    1980 - 1990

    North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota (suspected)

    Fargo (ND), Duluth (MN)

    October 11, 1990

    Minnesota Correctional Facility — Faribault, Faribault, Minnesota (MNDOC ID: #162391)

    07/03/2025