| Sourced from 3 independent sources (4 reports) · no points in dispute |
KVRR, Brandon Sun, and Valley News Live
Every key fact in this report is confirmed by more than one independent source.
8 key facts · 8 corroborated · none disputed
Why some reports were counted once
Brandon Sun and Winnipeg Free Press — the same report, published near-identically, counted once.
When several outlets publish the identical article — often because they ran the same wire-service story — we count it as one source, not several, so the count reflects independent reporting rather than how widely one story was republished.
Allegations described here are not proven in court unless stated.
A Manitoba man’s reported cross-border kidnapping prompted a multi-agency law enforcement response before U.S. investigators concluded the story was false.
U.S. authorities determined that Roderick Garson, 37, of Manitoba, fabricated a claim that he had been kidnapped. He was arrested for falsely reporting a crime and is being held in the Douglas County Jail pending court.
Kidnapping report crossed the border
The case began with a Saturday report that a man had been abducted in Manitoba and taken across the Canada-U.S. border into the United States.
The reported abduction involved an alleged weapon. Investigators later found no weapon.
“While the reported abduction was ultimately determined to be false, law enforcement agencies responded based on the information available at the time and treated the report with the seriousness required when a person’s safety may be at risk,” Lt. Jenna Clawson Huibretgse of the North Dakota State Patrol said in an email quoted by the Brandon Sun.
That response grew quickly because of the nature of the allegation: a possible abduction that had crossed an international border. The investigation involved local, state, federal and Canadian law enforcement agencies.
Search led to Alexandria
Investigators traced the reported suspect vehicle to Alexandria, Minnesota, where officers located Garson and another adult man.
Authorities later said Garson and the other man knew each other before Garson reported being kidnapped.
“Through a co-ordinated investigation involving local, state, federal, and Canadian law enforcement, investigators conducted extensive followup into the reported abduction,” Huibretgse said.
During subsequent interviews, she said investigators determined Garson “had fabricated an elaborate account of being abducted.”
That finding shifted the case from a reported cross-border abduction to an arrest for a false report.
No weapon was found
The allegation that a weapon was involved was one of the reasons police treated the report as urgent. But investigators found no weapon.
Authorities also determined that the reported victim and the other adult man were not strangers. Investigators said the two knew each other before Garson made the kidnapping claim.
Garson was arrested for falsely reporting a crime. He remains in custody at the Douglas County Jail pending court.
Federal review continues
Federal law enforcement is reviewing the incident for possible federal violations.
Huibretgse said the response required “significant co-ordination and resources across international and state lines.”
“We appreciate the work of every agency involved in quickly investigating the report and ultimately determining the timeline and occurrence of events,” she said.
For Canadian readers, the case is a reminder of how quickly an alleged crime can become a cross-border police matter when a report involves movement from Manitoba into the United States. In this case, U.S. authorities say the report that launched that response was fabricated.
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