Peter Harriman

pharrima@argusleader.com

Joseph Patterson, accused of second degree murder, assault and kidnapping was released from the Minnehaha County Jail Friday after someone posted a $2 million bond for him.

"The bond was posted for him yesterday afternoon shortly after lunch," according to Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead.

"If he has the money to get released, he gets released." Milstead said he did not know if there were other conditions attached to Patterson's release.

He was charged in Oct. 2013 with second degree murder in the death of two-year-old Tyrese R. Ruffin, the biological son of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

Peterson himself has been removed from the team's active roster and placed on an exempt/commissioner's list as he faces allegations of child endangerment in Texas after disciplining another of his children with a switch from a tree branch early this summer.

Patterson was released from custody once before, on a $750,000 bond after being indicted. But he was returned to jail facing new charges of kidnapping and assault after he allegedly attacked a woman in Sioux Falls, said to be Tyrese Ruffin's mother.

The latest $2 million bond was split evenly between Minnehaha County and Lincoln County, according to Milstead.