News | August 1st, 2018
JAMESTOWN – The woman charged with crimes related to fake adoption proceedings of Native children turned herself in Wednesday morning and is currently in jail at the Stutsman County Correctional Center.
Betty Jo Krenz, 47, of Woodworth, was charged with theft of property and the unauthorized use of personal identifying information, according to the jail’s roster.
Krenz was the former case manager for the Spirit Lake Tribal Social Services, and has been under investigation for nearly a year. Because of her work with the tribe, which ended in 2011, she became a high-profile figure interviewed by the New York Times and prominently featured in a 2014-campaign advertisement approved by current Congressman Kevin Cramer. Krenz was also a nominee for the 2017 L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth Award, but was not selected as a winner.
An investigation began after an Oregon woman, Autym Burke, attempted to adopt a baby she planned to name Ruby through Krenz. The baby, whose real name is Julissa, belonged to her birth mother, Jodie Blackboy of the Spirit Lake Nation. Blackboy said she discovered the scam through Burke’s Facebook post.
Krenz has a lengthy rap sheet including convictions of forgery, counterfeiting, issuing checks without sufficient funds, and is scheduled to appear in court on the new charges at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday in Stutsman County. Her bail was set at $10,000.
The Stutsman County State’s Attorney’s office would not comment on proceedings, or questions pertaining to where Krenz has been during the past year.
Repeated requests for information related to why Krenz was involved in Cramer’s campaign advertisement have been ignored.
More information related to this situation can be found by following this link.
[Editor's note: this is a breaking story and may develop as more information is learned.]
October 13th 2025
October 13th 2025
October 6th 2025
September 29th 2025
July 29th 2025
_(1)_(1)_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)__293px-wide.png)
By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.com Ten North Dakota communities will participate in the nationwide No Kings Day of Peaceful Action on October 18. The grassroots movement is a nonviolent protest against President Trump’s…
By Michael M. Millermichael.miller@ndsu.edu I would like to recognize some of the scholarly Germans from Russia from Canada and USA shared on the GRHC website. There are additional names not included here. If you have suggestions…
Friday, October 31, doors 8 p.m. show starts at 8:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe annual Aquarium Halloween Cover Show is back and it is stacked. And this time there are a limited amount of presale…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com At the end of September, downtown Fargo said goodbye to another old friend; the Spirit Room closed its doors, marking the end of an era. The Spirit Room room has been a fixture downtown for the…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comAnother public health crisis besides guns: lack of empathyThe Sisters of Charity have finally had enough of their Trumper boss, Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. One of the most…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gion and Nichole Hensenrickgion@gmail.com The wait is finally over. Those who have visited Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Cafe lately know about the recent major additions and renovations that have taken place over the past…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Dakotah Faye is a hip-hop artist from Minot, North Dakota, and he’s had a busy year. He’s released two albums. This summer he opened for Tech N9ne in Sturgis and will be opening for Bone…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comNoémie Merlant, working from a script she wrote with Pauline Munier and her “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” collaborator Celine Sciamma, directs herself in “The Balconettes” (the…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Gallery 4 downtown recently celebrated its 50 year anniversary, making it one of the longest consecutively running galleries in the country. With different membership tiers, there are 17 primary…
Press release“Shakespeare with a sharpened edge.” To launch its 2025 – 2026 season, Theatre NDSU is thrilled to team up with Moorhead-based organization Theatre B to perform a co-production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com When we are sick, all we want is a cure. You go to the doctor, they give you a pill, you take it for a bit, then you are cured. It happens. But unfortunately, it is not always the case. …
By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…
By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.comMoral accountability and the crisis of leadership As a recovering person living one day at a time for the last 35 years, I have learned not to judge others because I have not walked in…