Grandson charged with killing couple

Published 8:14 pm Monday, March 26, 2018

PAYNESVILLE — A Paynesville man has been charged with killing his grandparents who had taken him into their home.

A criminal complaint filed Monday charges 33-year-old Gregory Scheel with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of 93-year-old Wilbert Scheel and 80-year-old Gloria Scheel. Their bodies were found in their car along a rural road in Kandiyohi County Thursday.

The complaint said Wilbert Scheel’s body was found with his arms and legs bound and with a plastic bag over his head. Gloria Scheel was found with an electrical cord wrapped around her neck. It said their vehicle smelled of gas and some portions of the interior had been charred and covered in soot.

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Scheel was arrested after the bodies were discovered when he was spotted walking in the area. His public defender declined comment Monday.