In the early morning hours of December 9, 2015, the life of 35-year-old Marcus Lee Roberts of Bloomington, Minnesota, was tragically cut short by gun violence at the Bluefin Bay Resort in Tofte, Minnesota. Roberts, a father of five, was working for a gaming company that had been hired for the resort's employee holiday party.
The festive evening took a dark turn towards its conclusion when an altercation occurred between Roberts and Kirk Lee Bigby, a 61-year-old employee of the resort who
delivered firewood to guest rooms. During the dispute, Bigby brandished a handgun and fatally shot Roberts. The incident shocked the small, peaceful community of Tofte, with the resort's owner noting that nothing like this had ever happened in his 32 years there.
Law enforcement was called to the scene, and Bigby was found in a room at the resort and taken into custody. A firearm was also recovered from the room. Bigby was subsequently charged with second-degree murder. In a later court appearance, it was revealed that Bigby had initially claimed self-defense.
Ultimately, Kirk Lee Bigby pleaded guilty to the shooting. He admitted his guilt in the death of Marcus Lee Roberts and was sentenced for his crime. The resolution of the case brought a measure of closure to a community and a family devastated by the sudden and violent loss of a loved one.
