Pennington County, MN (trfnews.i234.me)—On January 6, 2025, in Pennington County District Court, Isaac Victor Kalinoski, 35, of Thief River Falls, pleaded guilty to felony second-degree manslaughter. This plea is connected to the November 28, 2023, death of 28-year-old Hailey Ann Czapiewski, who overdosed on fentanyl. She was found unresponsive in her apartment, with her 2-year-old daughter present.
Initially, Kalinoski faced charges including third-degree murder and third-degree controlled substance crime. His sentencing is scheduled for February 18, 2025. During the court proceedings, Kalinoski admitted to selling a fentanyl pill to Czapiewski, acknowledging the potential for it to cause death or serious harm.
Judge Tamara Yon granted Kalinoski a seven-hour furlough to attend his grandmother’s funeral on January 11, 2025, in Thief River Falls. She stipulated that he would undergo a drug test upon returning to Pennington County Jail and warned of an escape charge if he failed to return by 6 p.m. Consequently, the jury trial scheduled for January 15-22, 2025, has been canceled.
In 2024, Kalinoski’s attorney, Eric Gudmundson, sought to suppress parts of a statement Kalinoski made to law enforcement on January 30, 2024. Gudmundson argued that Kalinoski had requested legal counsel during the interrogation, but questioning continued. However, after reviewing a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling, Gudmundson withdrew the motion, acknowledging its impact on the defense’s position.
According to the criminal complaint, Kalinoski sold a fentanyl pill to Czapiewski for $25 via Cash App. Investigators found Facebook Messenger exchanges between them on November 27 and 28, 2023, where Czapiewski inquired about the strength of the pills. On the day of her death, Kalinoski informed her that he had obtained “new ones.”
A search of Kalinoski’s residence revealed drug paraphernalia, including tinfoil with a partial blue pill testing positive for fentanyl. Kalinoski admitted that Czapiewski had purchased marijuana from him but denied involvement with other drugs found at her apartment. He also acknowledged performing a factory reset on his phone before handing it over to authorities.
Further investigation uncovered financial transactions between Kalinoski and another woman, who indicated that Kalinoski had sought money to purchase M30 pills. She also mentioned previous fentanyl purchases from him.
I’m Chris Harper, reporting for trfnews.i234.me