South Bend man extradited to Minn. on murder charge, bail set at $1M

A South Bend man is being held in a St. Louis County, Minnesota jail on $1 million bail for the murder of 28-year-old Christina Woods.

Daniel Lynn, 40, has been charged with one count of second degree murder.

Lynn is accused of strangling Woods on either June 12 or June 13 and burying her body on property owned by his family in Cook, Minnesota, according to court records filed in St. Louis County.

The probable cause affidavit says the St. Joseph County Police Department notified Minnesota authorities about Woods' disappearance on June 26. They believed she might be in the Eveleth, Minnesota area.

Woods was last seen in Indiana on June 9. She spoke with two people on June 12, then sent two text messages to a family friend on June 13.

The first text asked for help, saying she was in trouble and needed picked up. The second said she was fine and asked the person not to tell her mom, reports said.

Those were the last communications from her phone.

Investigators learned Daniel Lynn's family has an 80 acre parcel of land at 2396 Wakely Road in Cook, Minnesota, reports said.

When deputies from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Department wen to that address, the grass was freshly mowed and bleach and other cleaning materials were viewable from the exterior of the cabin, reports said.

Neighbors told deputies they two vehicles at the home between June 11 and June 15, one was burgundy and one was black.

Investigators said Lynn was spotted on surveillance video driving a burgundy vehicle on June 14, reports said.

Lynn said he was at the Cook property in June 2018 to open the cabin for the rest of the family. He admitted to knowing Woods, but said he didn't know where she was and had nothing to do with her disappearance, according to the probable cause affidavit.

He told investigators he had been at the property in Cook with his wife and his child.

A relative of Lynn's told police he had been hired to open the property for a memorial service the week of June 27th. She told deputies Lynn arrived at the property on June 12 and his wife and their child arrived with Lynn's mother on June 13, reports said.

The relative gave investigators permission to search the property and the buildings.

A preliminary search revealed a fire pit with metal buttons from Amethyst brand jeans, silver rivets with Roxy engraved on it and a necklace, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Based on these items, investigators obtained a search warrant for the property and the search began June 28.

After additional clothing was located, a larger search team was brought in for the 80 acre property.

On July 2, searchers found what appeared to be a fresh grave site, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Woods' body was found during the excavation. It had been wrapped and bound, reports said.

An autopsy was conducted on July 3, which determined she died of homicidal violence. The doctor noted she had internal bruises under her chest and back.

On July 3, Crime Stoppers in Indiana received a tip that Lynn and his wife were packing to leave the area. The tipster also told investigators Lynn said he had killed someone but that the body wouldn’t be located, according to the affidavit.

Investigators in Indiana spoke with Lynn's wife. During an interview, she said Lynn strangled Woods and she saw it, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Lynn was arrested in Cass County, Michigan on July 13.

He waived extradition to Minnesota and was booked into the St. Louis County Jail on July 17.

His bail has been set at $1 million.