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Jan Kruse's murder inside her home in Brewster, Minnesota, in 2015, shook the small community because of just how mysterious it was. The 40-year-old was shot in the chest with a shotgun, while her husband reportedly lay beside her in bed.
Episode 6 of season 13 of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered looked at Jan's murder and the people that the police suspected could have committed the crime. The suspects included Jan's husband of over 20 years, Chris Kruse, their then-15-year-old daughter, Bailey, and her 19-year-old boyfriend, Jeremy Majerus.
Titled Far From Spider Lake, the Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode aired on July 10, 2024, at 8 pm EST on Oxygen.
"A 40-year-old Minnesota woman is shot to death in her bed while her husband and teenage daughter are home, leaving investigators to wonder who would want her dead," the episode synopsis read.
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Five key details of Jan Kruse's murder explored
1) Jan Kruse was found shot in the chest in August 2015
Janette Krista Pigman-Kruse was found shot to death in her Brewster home on August 19, 2015. Jan Kruse was shot in the chest with a 12-gauge shotgun while she was reportedly sleeping. While the killer shot at her twice, one of the bullets hit her in the chest and the other hit the bed's headboard and made it through the wall.
Jan's husband Chris and their daughter Bailey were in the house when she was shot, which was what reportedly awoke them. Chris was reportedly in the same room, while Bailey was in the basement when they heard the gunshot at around 2:30 am local time.
2) The crime scene seemed to be staged like a home invasion
Chris called 911 to report the shooting at around 2:39 am local time on August 19, 2015. When authorities arrived at the scene, they found two spent shotgun shells on the bedroom floor as Jan lay on the bed, unresponsive.
On the 911 call, Chris said that the back door of the house was wide open and the basement window was also broken. However, there were no footprints, inside or outside the Brewster home, that indicated a home invasion. Additionally, there were no signs of forced entry or struggle, either.
The K-9 unit also failed to pick up the scent of an intruder, thus making it seem like the scene was staged to look like an intrusion.
3) The authorities suspected Chris Kruse to be the killer
The investigations into Jan Kruse's murder established that the murder seemed to be premeditated, but officers failed to zero in on a suspect or an intruder. They narrowed their suspicions about Jan's husband and pursued their investigation.
While Chris told investigators that he was asleep beside Jan when she was shot, when he made the 911 call, it seemed like he wasn't in the same room. The call's recording also indicated that Chris wasn't in their daughter, Bailey's, room either.
He also claimed that he had requested an ambulance but the recording of the 911 call proved him wrong, which he admitted to during his interrogation. While searching his shop, authorities also found a firearm similar to the murder weapon. The shell casings matched the shotgun that was kept without a case.
4) Chris Kruse was arrested and charged with Jan Kruse's murder in 2019 for the first time
Chris was arrested on suspicion of Jan's murder for the first time in 2019 but was soon acquitted by a grand jury. He was charged with first-degree premeditated murder and went through a lengthy trial with 41 witnesses altogether.
The prosecution reportedly argued that Chris wanted to get hold of the life insurance payout to ensure that he could buy Spider Lake Resort. However, the defense pointed out the inconsistencies in the evidence collection and timeline that the State drew up.
5) Chris Kruse was acquitted of all charges
The Worthington Globe reported that, following 12 hours of deliberation, Chris Kruse was acquitted of charges of first- and second-degree murder. The jury stated that the Nobles County Attorney's Office could not prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Chris Kruse lives in Worthington and has had his trial records expunged to ensure employment. He cannot be tried for the same charges in the future, even if new evidence is uncovered. Jan Kruse's murder is still unsolved.
All the details of Jan Kruse's murder were depicted in the Dateline: Uncovered episode released on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.
