A Deadly Teenage Rivalry in Rushford

In the early morning hours of September 15, 1951, 19-year-old Doelan Peterson was shot and killed outside a Rushford home. The person holding the rifle was 16-year-old Carrol Bakken—and at the center of the story was a 15-year-old girl both boys knew.

Within hours, Bakken had signed the first of two statements describing firing at Peterson from just four feet away. But when the case reached a packed Fillmore County courtroom, the story became far less straightforward. The defense argued the shooting was an accident, challenged Bakken’s confessions, and pointed to a broken piece of the rifle as evidence of what may have happened that night.

Was Peterson deliberately shot in a fit of jealousy, or did a confrontation between teenagers end in a tragic accident?

This week on Roots & Riddles, we revisit the shooting, the controversial confessions, the dramatic murder trial, and the verdict that left Rushford divided—and ultimately prompted the community to take action for its young people.