Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and assault. Readers’ discretion is advised.
ABC 20/20 takes a look at the murder of Dru Sjodin and the case against her killer, Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. The upcoming all-new episode titled “Missing From The Mall” premieres on Friday, January 12, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET on the network.
In November 2003, Dru Sjodin, a 22-year-old senior at the University of North Dakota, disappeared while leaving Grand Forks’ Columbia Mall. Investigators tracked her phone location near Crookston, Minnesota, per ABC News.
A police reservist and a retired deputy found Sjodin’s body months later in April 2004, per CNN. Before that, law enforcement had already arrested Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., a known sex offender. Rodriguez Jr. was reportedly shopping in Grand Forks the day Sjodin went missing. They also found other physical evidence linking him to the crime. The sex offender had reportedly served multiple prison sentences and was released in May 2023.
Sjodin’s killer, Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., received the death penalty following his conviction in Sjodin’s federal case in September 2006, per the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website. However, in September 2021, Federal Judge Ralph Erickson threw out his death sentence in an appeal ruling.
Where is Dru Sjodin’s killer, Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. now?
According to the Federal Department of Corrections, Dru Sjodin’s killer, Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., is now serving a life sentence at the United States Penitentiary Coleman II in Florida. Pioneer Press reported that he was moved to the facility from death row in Indiana’s Terre Haute after Judge Ralph Erickson threw out his death sentence in September 2021.
Rodriguez Jr., originally from Minnesota, had received the death penalty following his conviction for raping and murdering Dru Sjodin. The outlet noted that he kidnapped the 22-year-old college student on November 22, 2003, from the parking lot of Grand Forks’ Columbia Mall.
ABC News stated that authorities arrested Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., then 50, on December 1, 2003, on charges of kidnapping. He had previously served prison time for rape, attempted kidnapping, and aggravated assault. Dru Sjodin’s remains were only found on April 17, 2004, months after Rodriguez’s arrest.
ABC 20/20’s episode on Dru Sjodin’s murder and her killer, Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., airs on January 12, 2024. Sjodin’s case led to the introduction of Dru’s Law. This changed the name of the National Sex Offender Public Registry to the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website.