Teen In Waseca Bomb Plot Gets 10 Years Of Probation

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The Waseca teenager accused of plotting to kill his family and blow up his school may spend no time in prison.

On Monday, a judge sentenced 18-year-old John LaDue to a 10-year stayed prison sentence and a decade of intense supervised probation.

The sentence comes after LaDue made an unexpected plea deal with authorities last month. Five similar counts were dropped as part of his plea deal.

LaDue was 17 in April 2014 when police say they found him in a storage unit last year with bomb-making materials. A search at LaDue's home turned up explosives, bomb making materials, a gun and a journal outlining his plot to kill his family and classmates.

In court, the judge said LaDue has autism and is fascinated by violence. LaDue's sentence begins at a secure facility in Georgia that treats people for autism spectrum disorder who have a fixation on violence. LaDue will sit in Waseca County Jail until a bed is available for him there.

LaDue had nothing to say as he was taken from court back to his jail cell today. He also said nothing before he was sentenced.

"He's a young man who is looking forward to his future," public defender Dawn Johnson said. "Now that he's been diagnosed, that's the first step in treating and giving him the social skills that nobody know were lacking until this event."

After treatment, he'll be released to a halfway house determined by the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

"We believe in the God of second chances, so we would hope and pray that this would work for that young man and his family," Marie Tesch said.

People WCCO spoke with said they hope LaDue gets the help he needs.

"I hope the young man rehabilitates and hope he becomes a useful member of society," Leo Hoehn said.

There is no set time limit on how long LaDue will spend in treatment. The judge said Ladue's probation could last between 5 and 10 years.