Inspector Lobdell was shot and killed instantly near Roseau, Minnesota, by an individual who was suspected of being an alien. Inspector Lobdell was shot while he was attempting to get the individual into the patrol car for transportation to Warroad, Minnesota. The murderer was apprehended the following day but he denied his guilt and steadfastly refused to make any statement, which would reveal his past history. He was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the state penitentiary at Stillwater, Minnesota.
Reportedly, he subsequently corresponded with the judge of the court in which he was tried, confessing that he had killed Patrol Inspector Lobdell.