Charges: Son admitted killing longtime Wayzata teacher at cabin

CASEY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A longtime Wayzata teacher who coached the school's golf team to four state championships was killed at his family's western Wisconsin cabin, where authorities say his son admitted to the killing and allegedly planned to bury his father's body.

Son charged in Wayzata teacher's killing

What we know:

Colton Christopherson, 25, was charged last week with first-degree intentional homicide for the killing of his father, 56-year-old Allan Gregory Christopherson, in late September.

Colton Christopherson was arrested as deputies performed a welfare check for his father on Sept. 26 at their family's cabin outside Spooner, Wis.

The backstory:

Washburn County Sheriff's Office deputies were called out on that day for a welfare check on Allan Christopherson. According to the criminal complaint, Allan Christopherson was out hunting with a neighbor when the neighbor had to call it quits early due to an unrelated family situation.

Afterward, the hunting partner tried to get ahold of Allan Christopherson, and was unable to reach him. The neighbor then went back to the hunting property to check on Allan Christopherson.

While there, the complaint states the neighbor ran into Colton Christopherson, who was reportedly "acting strange." According to the charges, Colton said, "Red, red, dead." When the neighbor asked what Colton meant, the charges state Colton told the neighbor just to call or text when he saw Allan Christopherson and left.

Later, according to the complaint, Colton called the neighbor and asked him to follow him in his truck to the hunting land while Colton drove Allan's truck, so the neighbor could give Colton a ride back to the home. However, the neighbor refused the request because he thought it was strange.

Local perspective:

When deputies arrived, they spotted Colton's SUV backed up to the family cabin garage. As deputies got out of their squad, they say Christopherson came out of the cabin.

When deputies asked if Allan Christopherson was around, Colton said yes. Then, according to the complaint, Colton put his head down and told deputies Allan was dead and that he "killed him."

Colton Christopherson was placed under arrest. Inside the house, deputies said they found Allan Christopherson covered in a green tarp and stabbed to death in the basement laundry room.

Colton reportedly admits to killing

Big picture view:

During police interviews, the charges say Colton Christopherson admitted to stabbing Allan Christopherson in the neck twice. The complaint states Colton added that he did not attempt to call for help after the stabbing nor did he try to provide care for Allan.

According to the charges, Colton also admitted to moving Allan's body. Deputies say Colton admitted to loading the body into an SUV and bringing it to the hunting land with the intention of burying the body. However, according to the complaint, Colton said he was unable to follow through with the plan because the neighbor was at the hunting land when he arrived. Deputies say Colton then brought his father's body back to the cabin.

Dig deeper:

According to the complaint, when asked why he attacked his father, Colton expressed paranoid thoughts that his father had hired someone to kill him.

"When he arrived, after seeing cars traveling down the roadway that were certain colors and license plates had certain meanings, it was believed that [Allan], had hired someone to kill him. Colton’s purpose was to travel to the residence and ask [Allan] if he had indeed hired someone to kill him. Colton described that [Allan] said yes and that Colton killed [Allan], as it was better that he did it than someone else."

What's next:

Colton Christopherson is being held in Washburn County Jail on $5 million bail. An order for competency examination has been filed for Colton in the court record as of Monday. A competency hearing has been set for December.

Allan Christopherson remembered

What they're saying:

In an obituary and posts online, Allan Christopherson has been remembered as a beloved teacher and coach.

In an Instagram post, the Wayzata golf team wrote: "I am saddened to share that the Wayzata golf family has lost one of the greatest coaches in the history of the program. Allan Christopherson led Wayzata to four state titles and impacted hundreds of young golfers in his storied career. He will be missed by all who knew him."

An obituary notes Allan's dedication as an instructor in Wayzata, where he joined the district in 1998.

"Allan was widely regarded as a kind, caring, and highly effective classroom teacher," the obituary reads. "He built strong relationships within the school community and was a favorite among many current and former students. His impact extended well beyond the classroom, and the care he showed for his students and colleagues was evident in the many relationships he built throughout his career."

WisconsinCrime and Public SafetyWayzata