‘Living in Hell’ Charges ID Victim, Describe Details of Bloody Minnesota Murder
Shakopee, MN (KROC-AM News)- Court documents have shed light on the events that led up to a recent Minnesota murder.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in the small town of Credit River, which is about eight miles south of Prior Lake, for a welfare check on Monday night.
First responders found a deceased 45-year-old man at the scene and arrested 45-year-old Jennifer Lynn Lieber of Prior Lake, a news release said.
A criminal complaint, filed Wednesday in Scott County Court, says Lieber’s soon-to-be ex-husband called 911 to request the welfare check on Lieber around 10:30 Monday night.
A friend of the family told deputies she wasn’t sure what happened but suspected 45-year-old David Joseph Nanovic was dead after she saw him covered in blood at the bottom of a staircase inside of the home. She said Lieber told her she knocked a gun out of Nanovic’s hands and that gun went off and struck him, according to the court document.
Deputies found Nanovic’s body covered in blood with a handgun next to him. He was pronounced dead, the complaint said.
Investigators learned Lieber and Nanovic had recently taken up a romantic relationship. Deputies then found Nanovic’s son, who is under the age of 12, at a pool house on the property and brought him to safety for questioning.
The child said he and his father had been living in the home with Lieber. The two were watching TV when Lieber became agitated, grabbed a handgun and carried it around the home for the rest of the night, the court filing says.
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The child, who the complaint says described the housing arrangement as “living in hell,” said Lieber then began pointing the gun at him and his father and threatened to kill the father and son.
Lieber was also calling Nanovic racial slurs and said hurtful things to him. She was also drinking beer and brandy throughout the night, the court document says.
Nanovic and his son then went to the pool house around 9:30 p.m. The complaint says two other children living in the house then went to the pool house and said Lieber was “acting crazy,” then left.
One of the children later called the father and son to ask them to check on the dogs. Nanovic and his child then went towards the home when Leiber, still armed with the gun, met them outside. She told them not to approach and fired the shot at the father and son, who retreated to the pool house, according to the complaint.
Nanovic then tried again to go into the main house with his hands raised and got inside. The young boy said that was the last time he saw his father alive. He then went up to the house and saw Lieber locking the doors, according to the court document.
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The Hennepin County Medical Examiner then took custody of Nanovic’s body. An autopsy determined he died of a contact gunshot wound to his head.
Lieber has been charged with a count of second-degree murder without intent. Her conditional bail was set at $2 million and she’s due back in court later this month.
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