Waite Park Man Convicted in 2023 Killing
A Stearns County judge has found a man guilty in connection to a 52-year-old woman’s murder at an apartment in Waite Park.
Jarquez Javon Bedford, 30, was convicted in the killing of Andrea Rae Cottew following a bench trial earlier this month and after waiving his right to a jury trial.
According to court records, officers found Cottew dead in her apartment on Park Meadows Drive on Feb. 6, 2023, after being called for a welfare check. She had multiple lacerations to her neck and investigators discovered a bloodstained kitchen knife nearby. Surveillance footage showed Bedford entering the building with Cottew on Feb. 5. He was later seen repeatedly using her key fob to access the complex while she was never seen alive again.
Previously: Charges Filed After Woman Fatally Stabbed in Waite Park
DNA evidence linked Bedford to the crime, with his genetic material found on the murder weapon and other items belonging to Cottew. Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage from an apartment where Bedford had been staying. A witness inside the unit reported that Bedford mentioned needing something to "brush the blood off" after returning on the day of the killing.
Bedford fled Minnesota but was arrested in Kansas on an outstanding warrant for a separate robbery conviction. He remained in custody and was later indicted by a grand jury on charges of premeditated first-degree murder, first-degree murder while committing a felony and second-degree intentional murder.
His trial took place from Jan. 21-23, 2025, before Judge Andrew R. Pearson. Prosecutors presented forensic evidence, video footage and testimony from multiple officers and expert witnesses. Bedford testified in his own defense, offering conflicting statements about the incident.
The judge found Bedford guilty on all counts, ruling that prosecutors had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he intentionally killed Cottew with premeditation while committing a felony. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
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