Cloquet man charged with killing pregnant woman, her 1-year-old child

A Cloquet man was arrested and charged with three counts of second-degree murder after allegedly killing a pregnant woman he was in a relationship with and her 1-year-old child.

Fond du Lac police received a report on March 7 that 33-year-old Sheldon James Thompson was acting unusual and when asked what was wrong, had indicated he killed a woman and her child, a criminal complaint states.

When Fond du Lac and Cloquet police responded to the woman's home to check on her, they got no response but observed damage to the front door. The complaint states officers talked to a housing worker who told them he found the house in disarray the previous day and thought it was unusual, adding that he found both bedroom doors closed and didn't enter them.

Suspect in Cloquet double murder captured in wooded area

After receiving a search warrant, officers entered a bedroom and found a woman dead in a closet. The complaint notes her body was under blood-soaked clothes and had several deep lacerations.

In a separate bedroom, officers found a child they believed to be the woman's, who was pronounced dead. The complaint states officers noticed bruising around the child's head.

According to the complaint, officers then began work to locate Thompson. It states that Thompson later called 911 indicating he wanted to turn himself in to police and provided his location, but when authorities arrived, Thompson wasn't there. After deploying air assistance, he was located and taken into custody.

The complaint states several witnesses told law enforcement Thompson had admitted to killing the woman and her child.

It also states an autopsy confirmed their identities and noted that the woman was 13 weeks pregnant.

On Tuesday, a judge set Thompson's bond at $1 million. His first court appearance is set for Monday.