In the fall of 2021, a young Indigenous woman's life was tragically cut short in an Eden Prairie, Minnesota hotel room. Samantha Boshey, a 29-year-old female, was discovered deceased on November 2, 2021, inside a suite at the Residence Inn where she had been staying with her husband and two young children. Her death was the result of a gunshot wound to the chest, a violent end to a life described by family as bright and beautiful.
Hotel staff, concerned after the couple failed to check
out, requested a welfare check. Upon entering the room, they found a disturbing scene. The suite was in disarray, and Samantha's husband, Ryan Charles Rooney, was found with a gunshot wound to his head that was determined to be self-inflicted. The couple's two children, ages one and two at the time, were also in the room but were physically unharmed. Samantha was found on the second level of the suite. It was later determined that she had likely been deceased for about a day before her body was discovered.
Ryan Charles Rooney was immediately considered a suspect in his wife's death. He was taken to a hospital for his injuries and subsequently arrested. The investigation revealed a history of domestic violence, with Rooney having prior convictions for domestic assault. Just weeks before the murder, police had been called to the same hotel after a man was reported to be waving a gun in the parking lot. The call was made from Samantha's phone, and the description of the man matched Rooney.
In November 2023, a Hennepin County jury found Ryan Charles Rooney guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Samantha Boshey, who was also known by the nickname "Sosa." Following his conviction, he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of release after 30 years. During the sentencing, Samantha's family expressed their profound grief, remembering her as a loving mother whose smile could light up a room.
