NORTH MANKATO, MN — The mother of a teen accused in a North Mankato homicide now faces four felony charges of her own. Prosecutors say Christa Marie Wolner helped her son, Ryan Wolner, avoid arrest and interfere with the investigation into the May 23 killing of 17-year-old Tyson Goodsell.
Wolner, 53, of Mankato, was charged Monday in Nicollet County District Court. She is accused of aiding an offender by obstructing a murder investigation and harboring or concealing an offender to help him avoid arrest.
How the case unfolded
Authorities say the shooting happened in a North Mankato neighborhood after Goodsell arranged to sell THC cartridges to a man named Jaxon Sageng. Prosecutors say the meeting was a setup, and that Ryan Wolner used Sageng’s car and phone to lure the victim.
Investigators say co-defendant Abdikhadar Mohidin shot Goodsell in the head with a rifle. Goodsell was found inside his locked vehicle, which had rolled back into a residence, and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Ryan Wolner already faces nine felony counts, including aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and is being held on $3 million bail.
What investigators allege
The complaint says Christa Wolner picked up her son from her Mankato business after the shooting, then drove him to look for phones he had thrown into a ditch along Highway 169. Officers later recovered one of the phones.
She is also accused of sending $205 through Cash App to help pay for a hotel room for two co-defendants, letting Ryan Wolner use her phone to keep in touch with others tied to the case, and driving past the crime scene with him the next day. Investigators say a photo of the scene was later found that appeared to have been taken from the passenger seat of her vehicle.
Evidence and next steps
Prosecutors say more evidence tied Wolner to the case, including a plaid bag that had held the rifle used in the shooting and was later found in her Cadillac XT5. Investigators also say she refused to give up her phone passcode, initially lied about where the phone was, and deleted interior security camera footage from her business.
Officials say the case is still open and more charges are possible. Christa Wolner is being held in the Nicollet County jail, while the other defendants remain in custody on charges tied to the homicide.
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