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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,July 8,2019 <br /> Page 3 <br /> son. He would see her taking out her trash and offer to take it out for her no matter what <br /> he was doing. She noted he loved his kids. For a man that supposedly committed sui- <br /> cide, it did not make sense to her that between Roseville and Stillwater, someone has to <br /> know something or had to have seen something and then randomly, out of the blue, find <br /> his body. What she did not understand was how people can just brush aside a young <br /> man, not just because he is black but to just brush him off and this is not fair. The family <br /> needs answers on what actually happened to him. His family and kids need peace. She <br /> thought there needed to be a voice, not just for the black people but for everyone so this <br /> does not happen anymore. <br /> Ms. Janelle Branca stated she did not know Ralph Bell or his family and had never met <br /> them, but this story came out and is so compelling to her. She first heard he was missing <br /> in December and then he was missing for weeks but there were not any stories about him <br /> on the news or anywhere and no one was getting any information out. Her whole point is <br /> that this needs attention and it is not too late to give the attention to this case that it did <br /> not get before. She urged the City to give the attention to the investigation that is hap- <br /> pening now because it matters to people who are not his family. There are people in the <br /> community that this is a really strong story for, and the strength of the story is there. She <br /> asked the Council and City to give this the attention it deserves. <br /> Ms. Amanda Som-Stewart, stated she knew Ralph Bell through his two younger brothers. <br /> She was at the meeting today to support his mother, his brothers, and to stand before the <br /> Council and beg for the City's help. None of the family and friends accept the answers <br /> that have been given so far and are desperately seeking support and resources to learn <br /> more and do more. Ralph Bell's life mattered to all of them and to other people in the <br /> community as well who did not have the opportunity to know him. <br /> Ms. Tera Simpson St. Paul, noted Ralph Bell was one of her cousins. She would like to <br /> urge Roseville and any resources Roseville has to dig deeper into his case and take a sec- <br /> ond look. This is not the family in denial or disbelief. Somebody that commits suicide <br /> does not slit their throat, stab themselves three times in the chest, and slit both wrists. It <br /> is for reasons like this that the family is standing before the Council asking for a second <br /> look to be given. This may have been done in an attempt to look like a suicide but the <br /> family knows it was murder and Roseville needs to know there is a murderer in their City <br /> and while it can be swept under the rug and not talked about or exposed, it could happen <br /> again. <br /> Mayor Roe thanked everyone for coming before the City on behalf of Ralph and stated he <br /> the Council and City acknowledges how important he is, not only to his family and <br /> friends and people who did not even know him very well but certainly to the community. <br /> He thought the City shared that feeling about him and how important he certainly is and <br /> was to everyone. He noted the important thing that needs to happen is to know about <br /> what happened between when he left Stillwater and when he was found and especially <br /> what happened before his car was found. He stated that type of information is helpful to <br /> understanding whether or not ultimately the conclusion of the medical examiner is ulti- <br />