An adult female was found dead in her Minneapolis apartment in February 2024 with a fatal head injury and signs of decomposition, prosecutors say.
Charles Henry Foss, who was 34 at the time of the death, faces charges of second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony and stalking, according to a complaint filed October 22 in Hennepin County District Court. The complaint places the death between February 18 and February 22, 2024, and the stalking between March 2021 and February 2024.
According to the complaint, Minneapolis police were called to the victim’s apartment on February 22, 2024, after a caretaker and building manager entered to conduct a welfare check and found her dead. Officers saw the victim lying on a mattress in a disordered apartment, with no one else present. She appeared to have been deceased for several days.
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An autopsy determined the cause of death was an acute subdural hematoma on the left side of the victim’s skull, with several contusions noted on her body and right eye. The complaint says the acute nature of the hematoma indicated that death came quickly after the injury. Toxicology reports showed fentanyl and methamphetamine in the victim’s system.
Investigators learned the victim had known Foss for about three years, the complaint says. It details a series of police calls and witness statements in the days leading up to the victim’s death.
The complaint says the caretaker called 911 on February 13, 2024, after the victim ran to her apartment, shaken and without a shirt, and said she had been punched in the head by Foss, made to remove her clothing and put in a chokehold. Officers documented injuries to the victim’s face, but Foss had fled the building before they arrived.
The complaint says the caretaker last communicated with the victim on February 17 at about 5 p.m. and placed a maintenance flyer under her door on February 19, which remained undisturbed until the body was found. The victim also called police around midnight into February 17, reporting that Foss was in her apartment and refusing to leave. Officers responded, found Foss in the apartment and escorted him out, telling him not to return.
The complaint says the investigation included interviews with friends and family and a review of electronic communications. On February 18, the victim and Foss exchanged messages about meeting up, and she expressed a desire to avoid conflict. That afternoon, Foss used a friend’s phone to call the victim and messaged her that he was coming to meet her. The victim was last heard from at about 6:05 p.m. on February 18, after which there was no further activity on her phone or social media.
After the victim’s death, Foss made several admissions to acquaintances that he had beaten or killed the victim, according to the complaint.
The judge set bail at $1 million.
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Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 44 other cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
