Mild-Mannered Office Worker Became Mr. Hyde At Home

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This is what Batt looked like back in 1999. Recent accounts say he looks very similar.

Blooming Prairie, Minn., sounds like the perfect town to raise a family. But for one woman and her daughter, life was far from perfect.

At first glance, Dale Batt looked and acted like a guy most people have worked with: lifetime middle-manager, bald and bespectacled and otherwise unremarkable. But back at home, Batt was a scene from “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” -- he was completely unpredictable.

Batt married Jennifer in 1988, and they had a beautiful daughter together. Things couldn’t seem better -- until 1993, when their happy home began to change.

Cops say Batt strangled and assaulted Jennifer in the middle of the night while their 2-year-old daughter watched. Police say the incident was never reported. Throughout the next few years, there was a lot of arguing between Batt and Jennifer, but the physical abuse seemed like it was an isolated incident -- until five years later.

Police say Batt severely beat Jennifer throughout 1998. They say Batt was beyond sadistic in the ways he abused his wife and repeatedly threatened to kill Jennifer.

Reports indicate that Dale beat and cut Jennifer with a hedge trimmer, strangled her until she blacked out, and just when she would come to, strangled her again. They say his assaults continued with punching, kicking and even trying to shock her with an electrical cord.

All of this was witnessed by their then-8-year-old daughter.

Finally in November 1998, Jennifer took a stand.

Police: Crime Survivor Fears Vengeful Ex

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Batt isn't the most intimidating looking guy out there, but his track record is a cause for concern to both law enforcement and his ex-wife.

Cops say Jennifer was in the bedroom when Batt began trying to smother her with a pillow while on top of her. When Jennifer tried to fight back, Batt continuously punched her.

Reports indicate that Batt stopped at one point during the assault and told Jennifer to go console their daughter, who had woken up in her bedroom. After bringing their daughter downstairs, Batt began assaulting Jennifer again, then told her to go ahead and leave with their daughter; he said he wasn’t going to see them again.

In December 1998, Jennifer filed a restraining order against Batt and filed for divorce.

Batt was charged with domestic assault and third degree felony assault in January 1999. During the investigation, law enforcement removed several guns from the Batt home, including an AK-47 assault rifle.

Court documents indicate that Batt was convicted of third degree felony assault, causing substantial bodily harm. Batt was then sentenced to five years in prison and was granted a stay of imposition as long as he successfully completed probation and treatment.

Cops say Batt didn’t comply, and authorities issued a warrant for his arrest in August 2000 -- but Batt skipped town before cops could haul him in.

Now Jennifer fears he will come back to exact revenge on the family.

Is Batt Back In Town?

Jennifer fears not just for herself or her daughter but for society as a whole. Behind closed doors, Batt spewed anti-government rhetoric. In FBI interviews, Batt talked of his fascination with bomb-making, as well as dabbling in poisons such as potassium cyanide. During one interview, Batt talked about the time he tested a syringe full of chemicals on the family dog. The dog later died.

Authorities say that logic would dictate that Batt knew he was wanted, and he would want to be as far away from Jennifer and Minnesota as possible.

That theory went out the window in 2009 when police say Batt, an avid SCUBA diver, was seen at a dive shop in Milwaukee and another in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Batt was back in town.  Jennifer's worst fear was becoming a reality and has since left her constantly looking over her shoulder.

In addition to bragging about his PADI certifications in SCUBA, Batt also boasts about the dives he’s done in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Cozumel, Mexico. Batt also talks about how he enjoys diving old shipwrecks. He also likes to hunt and fish, and is a gun enthusiast.

Police say his weight may fluctuate from 150 pounds to more than 220 pounds. They say Batt smoked cigarettes and drank beer, whiskey and vodka. He’s also known to have used false identification in the past and frequently uses post office boxes due to his paranoia that the government was intercepting his mail.

Lastly, cops say Batt could have ties with area militia groups. They say he grew up in Leroy, Minn., and has ties to the Twin Cities, Rochester and Cass Lake, Minn., as well as Dickinson, N.D. They also say he could be working in an administrative or management position in a manufacturing setting.

Cops say Batt should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.

If you’ve seen Dale Harry Batt, call our Hotline right away at 1-800-CRIME-TV. Remember, you can remain anonymous.