A 35-year-old man is facing a second-degree intentional murder charge in the poisoning death of his St. Cloud roommate.

Stuart William Hanmer was charged in Stearns County Court on Friday. Authorities say that Hanmer poisoned Cody Ernst, 33, of St. Cloud, Hanmer’s roommate at Hope Recovery Living, a St. Cloud sober living house.

Ernst lived at the facility for six months and Hanmer, of Moorhead, moved in on May 3, according to the criminal complaint.

Ernst died on June 22 as a result of complications related to thallium ingestion, according to St. Cloud police. Thallium is a toxic heavy metal, and tasteless and odorless element. It was historically used as a rodenticide and insecticide, but was banned for U.S. household use in 1965, according to the National Institute of Health.

“A pharmacist with poison control indicated that the level of Thallium present in the patient was likely ingested, as there would be no other way to get this level of exposure from environmental means,” the complaint says.

According to the charges, investigators found the following internet searches made from April 4-6 on one of Hanmer’s devices:

“How long does it take if thallium poisons you”
“How much thallium nitrate is fatal”
“Is thallium the most toxic”
“Is thallium metal in elemental form toxic”
“How do you crystalize thallium sulfate”
“Buy element thallium”

Officers found three online transactions from April 5-6 in which Hanmer purchased 25 grams of thallium metal for $162.56, according to the complaint.

Hanmer signed for a package on May 14, two days before Ernst was hospitalized, according to the charges. An expert in metals and environmental toxins believed Ernst was poisoned on May 14 or 15, according to the charges.

On May 14-15, Hanmer’s devices included additional internet searches, such as “How much thallium is lethal” and “How long does it take for thallium symptoms to present in humans,” according to the complaint.

According to the complaint, Hanmer watched a video on how to create thallium sulfate on April 5 and May 15. The video shows powder crystallized thallium sulfate, and a speaker in the video said, “that’s like, enough crystallized thallium sulfate to kill 15 grown men,” according to the charges.

Ernst was taken to the emergency room at St. Cloud Hospital on May 16. Ernst reported that he had “smoked” on May 15 before having an “episode of vomiting and seizure-like activity,” according to the complaint.

On July 7, investigators met with Hanmer, who said he and Ernst “would often smoke marijuana and drink coffee together in the mornings,” according to the charges. Hanmer told investigators that he was at the residence when Ernst had a seizure and that he “wasn’t aware of what thallium poisoning was until after hearing (Ernst) passed away.”

Hanmer was arrested Wednesday after a months-long, multi-agency investigation, according to St. Cloud police. Hanmer had a first appearance in Stearns County District Court on Friday.

A second-degree intentional murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 40 years.

Related Articles

Man, 52, charged with fatal stabbing at Maplewood apartment

Fridley boy, 15, gets 20-year prison term for fatal St. Paul shooting

Former Minneapolis coach and teacher guilty on 12 counts of criminal sexual conduct

Lakeville schools targeted in online threats; juvenile arrested

St. Paul man charged in Minneapolis crash that killed 2, injured child following carjacking

Postal traffic into the United States plunged by more than 80% after the Trump administration ended a tariff exemption for low-cost imports, the United Nations postal agency said Saturday.

The Universal Postal Union says it has started rolling out new measures that can help postal operators around the world calculate and collect duties, or taxes, after the U.S. eliminated the so-called “de minimis exemption” for lower-value parcels.

Eighty-eight postal operators have told the UPU that they have suspended some or all postal services to the United States until a solution is implemented with regard to U.S.-bound parcels valued at $800 or less, which had been the cutoff for imported goods to escape customs charges.

“The global network saw postal traffic to the U.S. come to a near-halt after the implementation of the new rules on Aug. 29, 2025, which for the first time placed the burden of customs duty collection and remittance on transportation carriers or U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency-approved qualified parties,” the UPU said in a statement.

The UPU said information exchanged between postal operators through its electronic network showed traffic from its 192 member countries — nearly all the world countries — had fallen 81% on Aug. 29, compared to a week earlier.

The Bern, Switzerland-based agency said the “major operational disruptions” have occurred because airlines and other carriers indicated they weren’t willing or able to collect such duties, and foreign postal operators had not established a link to CBP-qualified companies.

Before the measure took effect, the postal union sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to express concerns about its impact.

The de minimis exemption has existed in some form since 1938, and the administration says the exemption has become a loophole that foreign businesses exploit to evade tariffs and criminals use to get drugs into the U.S.

Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs now require vetting and are subject to their origin country’s applicable tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.

Related Articles

Today in History: September 6, President McKinley fatally shot

Thousands of newborn stars dazzle in the latest snapshot by NASA’s Webb Space Telescope

Attorneys general warn OpenAI and other tech companies to improve chatbot safety

Someone could win $1.8B Powerball jackpot Saturday. Odds are their identity will remain a mystery

Pigs, furniture, appliances and a horse stolen from Yadier Molina property, Puerto Rican police say

While the change applies to the products of every country, U.S. residents will not have to pay duties on incoming gifts valued at up to $100, or on up to $200 worth of personal souvenirs from trips abroad, according to the White House.

The UPU said its members had not been given enough time or guidance to comply with the procedures outlined in the executive order U.S. President Donald Trump signed on July 30 to eliminate the duty-free eligibility of low-value goods.

Korean boy group BE:MAX has canceled its Saturday St. Paul appearance because of visa issues, the group said on social media.

They were slated to be the headlining band at what organizers are touting as Minnesota’s first K-pop convention at St. Paul RiverCentre beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday.

KPopMinneCon will feature music performances, dances, influencers, beauty and food vendors and merchandise. Performers include Ted Park and influencer Beom Han is also scheduled to appear. The event will celebrate the Korean pop music community in the Midwest, according to presenter MNKPopConnect.

The band posted on social media that when they arrived at the airport to fly to the United States they had to cancel the trip “due to the unexpected cancellation of our visa.”

It was unclear Saturday morning whether the entire festival would be canceled, however stories on its social media account after the announcement showed the festival organizers were preparing for attendees still.

The convention was advertised as offering an all-in-one ticket covering both entry and concert access, with flexible in-and-out privileges. Activities include panels, dance challenges, and Korean and Asian food trucks serving a variety of cuisines.

BE:MAX was scheduled to perform at 8 p.m.

Meet and greets run from 3-6 p.m. and include performers Ted Park, Alan Z, Lucid Lee (LUC:ID), Ramiro Brave and Mimi Yang.

Related Articles

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra announces Jessica Mallow Gulley as new president

Why Jeff Weiss melds fiction and nonfiction in ‘Waiting for Britney Spears’

Minnesota’s first K-pop convention coming to St. Paul RiverCentre

Concert review: Nelly and Ja Rule turn the Grandstand into the biggest party in town

Concert review: A reunited and reinvigorated Linkin Park thrills Target Center crowd

Amy Lindgren

Have you been thinking about taking a second job to supplement your income? Maybe you already juggle jobs and gigs in what some people call “portfolio work.”  If so, you might be a good candidate for a different approach to multiple streams of income.

Instead of pursuing a random selection of work opportunities, what about building two career paths simultaneously?

The reasons for doubling up could include the classic moonlighting justifications: Extra cash and something to fall back on.

But the real difference when you’re switching from a gig mindset to career mode is the commitment you’re making to both areas of work. It could be that you love both fields, or you want to build experience in both before choosing one. Or, it could just be that you don’t know any better.

That last one belongs to me and probably isn’t true of other people. More on that in a minute.

Whatever your reasons, dual-careerists face some decisions. For example, how would you divide your time between the two pursuits? Among the variations to consider are situations where one career takes the most time, or one is intermittent, or both are part-time or perhaps seasonal.

In any case, most people wouldn’t last long holding down two full-time jobs, at least not in two different professions. (Remember that the remote workers you hear about with multiple full-time jobs generally perform the same task in each one.)

Another question is how to build two career paths simultaneously. To keep this from becoming too theoretical, I’m going to use my own example. In my case, the two paths both involve self-employment, which brings us back to “not knowing any better.”

When I was young and goofy (goofier, anyway), I believed the statistics about business startup. In the mid 1980s, the number touted was something like, “Three out of five businesses will fail in the first year.”

If I’m going to fail at least three times, I thought, why not speed things up and launch businesses two at a time? I had already started and closed two businesses sequentially (house cleaning followed by house painting), which had taken three years altogether. Now I would start the third and fourth businesses simultaneously, on the assumption that one would probably fail but the other might make it.

What I didn’t count on was that both businesses would survive. Having gained enormously more insight, I now know their survival was rooted in choosing work I’m suited for. Where the first two businesses were one-person manual labor services, the third and fourth businesses were a résumé typing service that quickly morphed into a career-strategies company and a writing service that I have kept as a one-person operation.

No guarantees, but if I’d operated from my strengths at the beginning, I might not have business failure stories to tell. But then I might have missed the fun of following two paths at once, not to mention the rewards.

If this idea appeals to you, or you’re already doing something similar, these tips might save you time or mis-steps.

• 1. Choose two careers that are compatible. A career that requires your presence doesn’t pair well with one that demands travel, for example.

• 2. Keep the paths distinct. Rather than two quite similar careers, look for two that suit different sides of your personality. This helps you avoid burnout while also providing that “something to fall back on” if things go south.

• 3. Consider a self-employment / staff combo. Following two careers is already challenging; doing them both as an employee could add messy logistics. If at least one of your paths is under your own control, you’ll be able to flex better. On the other hand, I maybe wouldn’t advise two self-employment tracks. Steady income and benefits are also nice.

• 4. Take stock frequently. If one path feels like a slog, give yourself permission to demote it to a side interest.

• 5. Let one career dominate. One might take more time or require more financial resources. Or, one might be your “public” profession while you pursue the other in a quiet manner. This imbalance will let you breathe and reflect more on each path, rather than pushing both forward at the same pace. It also helps financially if one doesn’t demand expensive space or marketing.

• 6. Grow your skills in both careers. Building skills and expertise requires some combination of ongoing training, networking, reading, professional memberships and more. That’s what defines these paths as careers and not just side hustles or gigs. It’s also what makes them rewarding, both personally and professionally.

Related Articles

Working Strategies: Finishing the summer strong

Working Strategies: Arguing in favor of staying in your job

Working Strategies: Shop your résumé for your next job

Working Strategies: AI and work, with advice for the future 

Working Strategies: Preparing for launch post-graduation

Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.