Ringsred Blames City For Gradishar's Death
Posted at: 03/19/2010 5:44 PM
| Updated at: 03/19/2010 5:49 PM
By: Laura Kennedy
lkennedy@wdio.com
One day after Jim Gradishar took his own life, Eric Ringsred emailed a letter to Duluth Mayor Don Ness and the city council. He says the city played a part in Gradishar's death, using the term "lynch mob" to describe the mayor, city attorneys and the police department.
"I think there was definitely a movement to put him out of business," Ringsred said. "Maybe not to make him kill himself, but to put him out of business. And I think the people at City Hall who supported that are part of the mob."
Ringsred says Gradishar's troubles with the city began back in 1998 when the city wanted to relocate his business, the Wabasha adult bookstore.
"A month ago, he told me, 'That's when I really started to feel like the villain.' I didn't realize it was getting to him until much later," said Ringsred.
Ringsred says Gradishar became a different person in the last few years, including pleading guilty to charges of carrying a pistol while intoxicated and possessing marijuana in two different incidents. Ringsred blames the city.
"They pushed him to that. They pushed him to madness," he said.
Ringsred says he takes some of the blame for allowing Gradishar's business in his building and allowing a situation to continue that he says ended up being too much for Gradishar to handle.
"When you see something is wrong and you don't speak up, you can shoulder part of the guilt yourself then," said Ringsred.
City Attorney Gunnar Johnson says he hasn't seen Ringsred's letter to the mayor and council, but he says his sympathy goes out to Gradishar's family. Duluth Mayor Don Ness and Police Chief Gordon Ramsay declined to comment on Ringsred's accusations.
According to Ringsred, he made more than one effort to ease Gradishar out of his management position. And he says the two made a couple attempts at selling the business.
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