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Anna Gronewold had role in domestic violence law
Measure signed into law Monday by Gov. Pawlenty
By Dan Nienaber Free Press Staff Writer
LEWISVILLE — When Anna Gronewold was asked to speak at a Committee Against Domestic Abuse breakfast last
month, she highlighted the ways a proposed domestic violence bill might have shielded her daughter and husband from
violent deaths.
This week the Lewisville woman is being credited for playing an important role in getting that bill signed into law.
The bill, passed with no opposition in the House or Senate and signed into law Monday by Gov. Tim Pawlenty,
enhances legal protections for victims of domestic violence.
Gronewold’s daughter, 25-year-old Ashley Sullivan, and husband, 59-year-old Chet Gronewold, were murdered by
Sullivan’s ex-boyfriend, Shawn Haugen. After posting $3,000 in cash to cover three different bail bonds totaling
$30,000, Haugen broke into the Gronewolds’ Lewisville farmhouse on Jan. 17. He shot Sullivan, beat Chet Gronewold to
death, then killed himself.
Anna Gronewold did two things to help get the bill passed, said Liz Richards, director of programing for the Minnesota
Coalition for Battered Women. She testified during a legislative hearing and she worked closely with Rep. Tony Cornish
of Good Thunder, who was able to pull together law enforcement and probation officers from the Mankato area to help
structure the bill.
“Legislators need to hear the personal stories of people,” Richards said.
This year alone 16 murders occurred in Minnesota directly related to domestic violence. That includes the shooting
death of Svetlana Munt in a Mankato park. Her ex-husband, Joel Munt, is accused of murdering her.
The criminal justice system knew Haugen was dangerous but didn’t do enough to protect his victim, Gronewold said
during her speech.
“Within minutes, one violent person changed the fate of my entire family,” she said. “They couldn’t protect my family
from Shawn’s violence. Now my family is left to deal with the aftermath and terror.”
The new law gives prosecutors and judges more options. Among other things, the law raises the cap on bail for
domestic offenses that aren’t considered felonies, strengthens witness tampering laws, and clarifies existing stalking
crimes to include communications through newer venues such as Internet social sites.
The law also creates a pilot project that will create standards for using electronic monitoring to protect domestic violence
victims.
Gronewold said she does feel like she has accomplished something. She plans to continue speaking out about the
issue. She is also scheduled to give her speech at Elmore Academy, a school for teens in alcohol and drug treatment.
“What I’m doing is not for me, it’s a cause,” Gronewold said. “If I just sat back and didn’t do anything, I think I would be
saying it’s OK for domestic violence to occur.
“I think anything that we do to make repeat offenders stay in prison or jail, we’ve accomplished something.”
Cornish, a Republican lawmaker who is also the Lake Crystal police chief, said he is planning to keep tabs on judges in
south-central Minnesota to see if they are setting higher bails in domestic violence cases. He said he was surprised to
find out, during the process of getting the bill passed, that it’s not uncommon for suspected burglars and thieves to get
their bail set much higher than someone who has assaulted his wife or girlfriend.
“I am going to be watching anyone in this process who makes it possible for someone to harm or injure a spouse or
friend,” Cornish said. “If that means highlighting judges who set bail too low, that’s what it means.”
Measure signed into law Monday by Gov. Pawlenty
By Dan Nienaber Free Press Staff Writer
LEWISVILLE — When Anna Gronewold was asked to speak at a Committee Against Domestic Abuse breakfast last
month, she highlighted the ways a proposed domestic violence bill might have shielded her daughter and husband from
violent deaths.
This week the Lewisville woman is being credited for playing an important role in getting that bill signed into law.
The bill, passed with no opposition in the House or Senate and signed into law Monday by Gov. Tim Pawlenty,
enhances legal protections for victims of domestic violence.
Gronewold’s daughter, 25-year-old Ashley Sullivan, and husband, 59-year-old Chet Gronewold, were murdered by
Sullivan’s ex-boyfriend, Shawn Haugen. After posting $3,000 in cash to cover three different bail bonds totaling
$30,000, Haugen broke into the Gronewolds’ Lewisville farmhouse on Jan. 17. He shot Sullivan, beat Chet Gronewold to
death, then killed himself.
Anna Gronewold did two things to help get the bill passed, said Liz Richards, director of programing for the Minnesota
Coalition for Battered Women. She testified during a legislative hearing and she worked closely with Rep. Tony Cornish
of Good Thunder, who was able to pull together law enforcement and probation officers from the Mankato area to help
structure the bill.
“Legislators need to hear the personal stories of people,” Richards said.
This year alone 16 murders occurred in Minnesota directly related to domestic violence. That includes the shooting
death of Svetlana Munt in a Mankato park. Her ex-husband, Joel Munt, is accused of murdering her.
The criminal justice system knew Haugen was dangerous but didn’t do enough to protect his victim, Gronewold said
during her speech.
“Within minutes, one violent person changed the fate of my entire family,” she said. “They couldn’t protect my family
from Shawn’s violence. Now my family is left to deal with the aftermath and terror.”
The new law gives prosecutors and judges more options. Among other things, the law raises the cap on bail for
domestic offenses that aren’t considered felonies, strengthens witness tampering laws, and clarifies existing stalking
crimes to include communications through newer venues such as Internet social sites.
The law also creates a pilot project that will create standards for using electronic monitoring to protect domestic violence
victims.
Gronewold said she does feel like she has accomplished something. She plans to continue speaking out about the
issue. She is also scheduled to give her speech at Elmore Academy, a school for teens in alcohol and drug treatment.
“What I’m doing is not for me, it’s a cause,” Gronewold said. “If I just sat back and didn’t do anything, I think I would be
saying it’s OK for domestic violence to occur.
“I think anything that we do to make repeat offenders stay in prison or jail, we’ve accomplished something.”
Cornish, a Republican lawmaker who is also the Lake Crystal police chief, said he is planning to keep tabs on judges in
south-central Minnesota to see if they are setting higher bails in domestic violence cases. He said he was surprised to
find out, during the process of getting the bill passed, that it’s not uncommon for suspected burglars and thieves to get
their bail set much higher than someone who has assaulted his wife or girlfriend.
“I am going to be watching anyone in this process who makes it possible for someone to harm or injure a spouse or
friend,” Cornish said. “If that means highlighting judges who set bail too low, that’s what it means.”
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