After Ryan Larson Interview, Questions Still Linger In Cold Spring

COLD SPRING, Minn. (WCCO) -- The city of Cold Spring, Minn. is reacting to WCCO-TV's exclusive interview with the person arrested then released after the death of one of their police officers.

Questions continue to grow about who killed Officer Tom Decker and how the investigation was conducted.

Ryan Larson, the man arrested and then released, talked exclusively to our Esme Murphy Wednesday night.

Public opinion towards Larson in Cold Spring appears to be shifting.

When he was first released from jail because of a lack of evidence, many residents were angry. But now some are beginning to believe he is innocent and questions are growing about the way authorities handled and are handling the investigation.

At the Cold Spring Bakery, Valerie Miller says Larson has changed her mind.

"It seemed real believable to me," she said. "It seemed like he was telling the truth and now he is innocent."

There has been a lot of misinformation about the murder scene. Decker's body was found in the parking lot about 100 feet away from Winner's Bar. His squad car was right next to him. An overhead light illuminated the area.

Larson would have had to fire the two shots in the well-lit area and run more than 100 feet to his apartment while getting rid of the murder weapon without anyone seeing him.

It was a lot easier for residents when they thought the killer was behind bars.

"It brings up a whole other set of questions. I mean, who did do it then and makes us feel a little more scared and uncertain now," said Miller.

Larson has turned for legal advice to Joe Friedberg, one of Minnesota's most prominent defense attorneys.

Friedberg says he is not yet officially representing Larson because there is nothing he is officially accused of.

Law enforcement is again not commenting.