Deepra Sarkar
The third season of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Murder in the Heartland’ features the tragic tale of Mindy Morgenstern in its first episode, ‘The Farmer’s Daughter.’ A lively 22-year-old student of the Valley City University, Mindy was murdered in cold blood by strangulation and stabbing. Her lifeless body was discovered by her close friends Toni Baumann and Danielle Holmstrom, who had gone to check on her after she failed to return their calls for a considerable amount of time.
The man accused and later convicted of Mindy’s murder was Moe Gibbs, who was sentenced to life imprisonment after a prolonged hearing. Mindy’s boyfriend at the time, Jordan Ranum, was a key person during the trial as the defense insisted on including him in the suspect list. Here’s what we found about Jordan Ranum and his contribution to the case.
Who Is Jordan Ranum?
Jordan Ranum had been dating Mindy Morgenstern at the time of her death. Despite certain normal misunderstandings, it was later alleged that the couple’s romance was cordial, which is why he was present in the court during Gibbs’ 2007 trial. While the verdict was being read, he was one of the many who cried. The truth is Ranum had been a suspect in the eyes of the defense, as evident from the way they consistently named him, all the while insisting on Gibbs’ complete innocence.
The prolonged proceedings leading up to the verdict thus heavily impacted Ranum, along with Morgenstern’s family and other friends. The fear of a hung jury also loomed owing to Gibbs’ first trial ending with a deadlocked 6 to 6 jury on the verdict. Morgenstern’s case is deemed to be one of the most infamous murder cases in North Dakota history. The verdict ruling Moe Gibbs as the murderer came after an entire year following the incident.
Where Is Jordan Ranum Now?
Jordan Ranum had been an active participant in the trial against Moe Gibbs and was heavily invested in obtaining justice for his late girlfriend. The fact the defense had constantly tried to direct the blame towards him obviously did not sit right with him. Hence, when the jury came out with a verdict against Moe, and he was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Jordan was more than grateful to the North Dakota law enforcement members, who he understood played a pivotal role in ensuring justice for his late girlfriend.
To show his gratitude, Ranum actually penned down a letter in the local newspaper addressing the sincere efforts of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation as well as the Valley City Police. He mentioned the names of those he had personally interacted with, stating that he was “very proud” to know them and “to have had their support.” Ranum further expressed his intention behind writing the letter to be an attempt at acknowledging the impeccable job done by the investigation team and to make the public aware of the same. He simply couldn’t have asked for more.
On the first anniversary of Mindy’s death, a heart-shaped garden was opened in her honor. This garden is located less than a block away from the apartment she was killed in. Bonnie Ranum, Jordan’s mother commented that the garden could serve as a “healing place” to remember Mindy. The empathetic and personal sentiments shared by the Ranum family members are clearly reflections of the closeness Jordan and Mindy had in their relationship. As for his current standing, it appears as if the Valley City native has since moved on with his life to the best of his abilities while still keeping Mindy alive in his heart. After all, he tied the knot with Alison Moe in early 2012 and is now a proud husband, father, and farm-working family man.
Read More: Eunice and Larry Morgenstern: Where Are Mindy Morgenstern’s Parents Now?
