Plymouth Man Charged After Victim Dies Years After Shooting
BY MN CRIME STAFF
Prosecutors have filed new murder charges against a Plymouth man more than three years after a shooting critically injured his girlfriend and ultimately led to her death.
Austin Robert LeClaire, 30, is now charged with second-degree murder with intent in connection with the Nov. 25, 2022 shooting inside a garage at a Plymouth residence.
The upgraded charge was filed after Daisy Colonnese, 26, died in August 2025 from complications tied to a gunshot wound to her head.
According to the criminal complaint, Plymouth police were called to the home shortly after 7:19 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2022. The 911 call came from LeClaire, who told dispatchers he had been talking on the phone with Colonnese when he heard a gunshot. He said she was at their shared residence on 40th Place in Plymouth and claimed he was on his way home from work.
> Sign up for the MN CRIME newsletter
When officers arrived, they entered the garage and found Colonnese lying face down near a large pool of blood with an apparent gunshot wound to the head and was unresponsive. A neighbor flagged officers down and said LeClaire was still on the phone. That neighbor also told police he frequently heard arguments between the couple and said LeClaire had previously threatened Colonnese and others with a gun.
Investigators grew concerned when LeClaire did not arrive at the home despite saying he would be there within 20 minutes. Cell phone tracking later showed he had crossed into Wisconsin and was traveling east. Deputies in Clark County, Wisconsin located and arrested him.
Another witness told investigators he had been at the residence earlier that evening for a birthday gathering. He said people were drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana and that LeClaire was arguing with Colonnese before the witness left. About 45 minutes later, the witness said LeClaire called and reported that his gun had gone off and struck her. The witness advised him to call 911.
That same witness also described a prior incident at his own home in which LeClaire became angry with Colonnese and said he had a gun on him. During that encounter, the witness said LeClaire touched the gun at his hip, causing it to discharge. When the witness told him to leave, LeClaire allegedly struck him in the face with the gun.
Crime scene investigators later found multiple live rounds and a single discharged .40-caliber cartridge casing on the garage floor. No firearm was recovered at the scene. Inside the vehicle LeClaire was driving when he was arrested in Wisconsin, officers found numerous boxes of .40-caliber ammunition and three loaded .40-caliber magazines.
In a post-Miranda interview, LeClaire admitted he had been dating Colonnese for about three years. He said they were arguing in the garage when he removed his loaded Glock 22 from his waistband and threw it onto a table. He claimed the magazine base plate came off and ammunition spilled out. He told investigators he was walking out of the garage when he heard a noise but did not check on it, instead driving to a nearby gas station.
LeClaire said when he later returned and saw Colonnese on the ground covered in blood, he “freaked out,” called 911 and then left because he was scared. He initially denied seeing a gun when he returned but later admitted he took it with him. He told investigators he disassembled the firearm while driving in Wisconsin and threw it out the window, possibly near a river.
Surveillance footage from the home’s garage, obtained through a search warrant, is cited in the complaint. Investigators say the video shows the couple arguing, with LeClaire heard saying, “If you come near me, I’ll shoot.” The sound of breaking glass is audible, followed by LeClaire drawing a gun, pointing it and moving off camera before a single gunshot is heard.
Colonnese survived the shooting for nearly three years. Prosecutors say her daily life during that time required round-the-clock care, intensive rehabilitation and numerous medical procedures. After her death on Aug. 11, 2025, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner determined she died from complications resulting from the gunshot wound to her head.
Court records show LeClaire had already pleaded guilty in the case before Colonnese’s death. In July 2023, he was sentenced to 216 months in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree attempted murder. Prosecutors state the upgraded murder charge is legally permitted because Colonnese’s death occurred years later, meaning the facts necessary to support a completed homicide charge did not exist at the time of his plea or sentencing.
The second-degree murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. LeClaire remains in custody as the case proceeds.
> See more of our latest coverage
> Follow on X or YouTube for more
> Help make MN safer with real-time alerts, LIVE video, 24/7 Safety Agents & much more: Download Citizen now
