Becker County: Ponsford Man Charged in Brutal Assault
BECKER COUNTY (trfnews.i234.me) — A rural Ponsford man has been charged with felony first-degree assault after a man was found with life-threatening head injuries earlier this month.
According to court records, 54-year-old Calvin Dean Basswood was charged in Becker County District Court following an incident on the morning of October 4. Law enforcement was called to the 21000 block of County Highway 6 after reports of an injured man found with two holes in his head.
Deputies arrived to find the victim covered in bruises with severe trauma to his face and head. The man initially claimed he had been struck on the highway and dropped off at the location. Medics, however, told investigators the injuries were inconsistent with a vehicle strike. The victim was airlifted to Sanford Hospital in Fargo and underwent emergency surgery for major head injuries.
Officers later discovered a large blood stain behind a utility shed and additional blood on a nearby porch. A search warrant was obtained for a nearby mobile home belonging to Natalie Mason, identified as the victim’s girlfriend. Inside, investigators found blood on the couch, walls, and ceiling, as well as bloody rags, a rug, and “Swiffer” pads in a dumpster.
Mason told investigators that after an argument with her boyfriend, she woke her cousin, Basswood, who then assaulted the victim with a baseball bat. Mason admitted to witnessing the attack and said she attempted to clean up the scene afterward. Basswood was later arrested and declined to state officers.
On October 6, bail was set at $300,000 without conditions or $100,000 with restrictions, including no contact with the victims and no use of drugs or alcohol. Basswood’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 27 before District Judge Gretchen Thilmony.
The case remains under investigation by the Becker County Sheriff’s Office.
For official Minnesota court case information, visit the Minnesota Judicial Branch case search portal.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
Calvin Dean Basswood