On November 11, 2025, at 6:00 A.M. Wright County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Thompson responded to a 911 call for an injured adult female at Advanced Process Technologies located at [ADDRESS REDACTED] NE in Cokato, Wright County, Minnesota. Investigation revealed the adult female was an employee of Advanced Process Technologies. The adult female was fully identified by law enforcement and will be referred to as “victim” herein. The reporting party said the victim had major head trauma with significant blood loss.
Investigation revealed the victim sustained a blow to the head. A bloody sledgehammer was observed on the floor proximate to the victim. Deputies and emergency medical services responded and rendered medical care to the victim. Despite medical care received by the victim, the victim died because of blunt force trauma to her head and corresponding blood loss. Deputy Thompson identified a suspect in the attack on the victim [NAME REDACTED], [DOB REDACTED], defendant herein. The defendant is an employee of Advanced Process Technologies.
The defendant made an admission to an identified male witness, “witness 1” herein, in which the defendant said something to the effect of, “I hit her with your hammer, she is by your toolbox, she is gone.” Responding detectives with the Wright County Sheriff’s Office reviewed surveillance video from Advanced Process Technologies. The video surveillance shows the defendant leaving his workstation and walking to the victim’s workstation. The defendant is wearing gloves when this occurs. The defendant is observed grabbing a sledgehammer from the victim’s workstation.
The video shows the defendant swinging the sledgehammer at the victim who is out of the view of the camera. The defendant’s first swing of the sledgehammer is in a horizontal movement consistent with the victim standing. The video surveillance captures the defendant forcefully swinging the sledgehammer four additional times in a downward fashion consistent with the victim [NAME REDACTED]. The victim [NAME REDACTED] on the cement floor of the building near her workstation with very significant head trauma and substantial blood loss.
The victim [NAME REDACTED] at a location where the video surveillance captures the defendant forcefully swinging the sledgehammer multiple times. It appears from the investigation that the defendant struck the victim with the sledgehammer when she was standing and struck the victim multiple times with the sledgehammer after the victim [NAME REDACTED]. The defendant bludgeoned the victim to death with multiple blows to the victim’s head with the sledgehammer. The defendant provided a statement to law enforcement after being advised of his rights in which he confessed to killing the victim.
The defendant said he intended to kill the victim. The defendant admitted not liking the victim. The defendant said he has been planning to kill the victim [NAME REDACTED].
