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North Dakota murder suspect refuses to leave Stearns County jail cell

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Mar 12, 2012 at 10:47 am

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (KNSI) - A man arrested in St. Cloud last week for allegedly killing his wife in North Dakota was could go in front of a judge Monday after refusing to leave his jail cell for a court appearance Friday, a Stearns County Sheriff's spokesman said.

Henry Deniger would not leave his cell at the Stearns County Jail Friday to appear in court on charges connected with the murder of Deniger's wife last week in Fargo, North Dakota, Stearns County chief deputy Bruce Bechtold said.

"He was refusing to leave his cell and refusing to go to court," Bechtold said. "I don't think there was any physical scuffle. At this point, it's that he doesn't want to go and we haven't been order to move him yet."

Deniger, 49, was arrested in the parking lot of the St. Cloud McDonald's restaurant on Division Street Wednesday night. He had been sought since the body of his wife Kathye Deniger was found inside the couple's Fargo apartment on Tuesday.

Bechtold said it is routinely up to the discretion of the judge in the case to decide how to handle difficult inmates like Deniger.

"If the judge directs us or orders us to restrain him and bring him to a court hearing, then we will do that. If the court decides to proceed on their own without his presence, then that would be fine too," Deniger said.