Becker Man Charged After Girlfriend’s Fatal Fall from Pickup

May 19

A 23-year-old woman died late last week after reportedly falling from her boyfriend’s pickup in rural Sherburne County.

35-year-old Johnathan James Schafer, of Becker, is now charged in connection with the incident.

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According to the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the 5800 block of 140th Avenue Southeast in Santiago Township around 9:20 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, after a woman reported that Schafer had called her and said his girlfriend, Julia Marie Marthaler, jumped out of his truck.

He also called his mother to report the incident, but Schafer did not contact 911 himself, court documents said.

Marthaler was found with severe head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene on 140th Avenue Southeast.

Schafer told investigators he stopped to check on Marthaler, found her unresponsive and then “panicked” when he saw another vehicle approaching. Instead of staying at the scene, Schafer drove away and was later found by investigators at a park in Becker. Officers noted a strong odor of alcohol coming from both Schafer and from inside the vehicle, with blood visible on its door, handle and on Schafer’s hand.

Officers also observed a shotgun cased in the backseat. They obtained a search warrant for a blood sample, with results still pending.

Schafer was arrested and made his first court appearance on Monday. He’s charged with one felony count of failing to stop at the scene of an incident where a death occurred and one count of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The investigation remains ongoing and authorities say additional charges are possible.

Court records show that Marthaler had an active order for protection filed against Schafer as of late last year. He was convicted for violating an OFP stemming from an incident with Marthaler in late Nov. 2024. He was convicted again in March 2025 for a gross misdemeanor OFP violation that occurred in February.

In the Nov. 2024 incident, Walker police officers were called to the Chase on the Lake hotel on Cleveland Blvd. after Marthaler’s father told police he was afraid for her safety. He cited Schafer’s previous domestic abuse and the active OFP. Marthaler opened the hotel room door and Schafer admitted he knew he was in violation of the order, the police report said.

There were no other details included in the report on Marthaler’s condition or if she appeared in distress. Schafer was then arrested without further incident, with the police report noting that he was "very polite and cooperative."

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