Becker County murder from 2007 to be featured on ID network Monday

Fatima Silva, left, and Chris Anderson listen to the convict’s loved ones present their leads during The Plea portion of the Reasonable Doubt. An upcoming episode of the show will feature the 2007 murder of Chad Swedberg in rural Ogema, which airs Monday, July 19 at 9 p.m. (submitted photo)

By Michael Achterling

July 16, 2021 at 11:10 PM

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. -- ID Network's "Reasonable Doubt" will feature a Becker County murder case from 2007 on their next episode, which will air Monday, July 19 at 9 p.m.

In 2007, Chad Swedberg was shot twice and killed in rural Ogema. His former friend and business partner, Kenneth Andersen, of Waubun, was convicted of first-degree murder for his death in 2008.

Currently, Andersen is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murder, but, according to a promotional release from the network, his family says his conviction is a "gross miscarriage of justice."

EMBED: Swedberg Case Overview, Reasonable Doubt, July 15, 2021
"Reasonable Doubt" is a show that airs on the ID Network and re-examines controversial murder cases throughout the country. Using their own resources and collective expertise, Chris Anderson, a retired homicide detective, and Fatima Silva, a criminal defense attorney, ensure that the right person is behind bars for the crime of which they have been convicted, and present their findings to the audience through interviews and dramatic reenactments.

After Andersen's sentencing in 2008 , Geraldine Bellanger, Andersen's mother, said, "Justice was not served here. My son did not get a fair trial — I know deep in my heart my son did not kill Chad Swedberg, and I will not stop until the truth comes out."

Convicted murderer Kenneth Anderson's brother, Frank Andersen, and his mother, Geraldine Bellanger, present their leads to hosts Fatima Silva and Chris Anderson during The Plea portion of ID Network's Reasonable Doubt. An upcoming episode of the show will feature the 2007 murder of Chad Swedberg in rural Ogema, which airs Monday, July 19 at 9 p.m. (submitted photo)

Andersen also claimed he was framed by law enforcement and the murder weapon may have been planted on his property .

At the time, Becker County Sheriff Tim Gordon called the allegations "ludicrous and impossible."

In 2010, Andersen's appeals for his murder conviction made it to the Minnesota Supreme Court, where the conviction was upheld . His lawyers challenged the search warrant used to seize the suspected murder weapon from his home due to errors in the application of the warrant and that his jailhouse privacy rights were violated when calls with his defense attorney were recorded, but not reviewed by investigators.

By Michael Achterling

Lead Multimedia Reporter for the Detroit Lakes Tribune and the Perham Focus.