Born in Seoul, Korea as Yun, Tae Eun, Michelle Marie Ploetz was a 20-year-old female who had built a life in Saint Paul, Minnesota. A young mother, she was navigating the complexities of co-parenting with her 19-year-old boyfriend, Timothy Scott Hendricks. Concerns over Hendricks' behavior had previously led Michelle's father to try and have him committed on three separate occasions, fearing he might harm their family.
A woman who had let Hendricks stay with her also told police he had talked about killing Michelle, a threat she did not take seriously at the time.
On the evening of April 16, 2014, Michelle and her father, John Ploetz, met Hendricks for dinner at The Little Oven restaurant so that Hendricks could visit with his and Michelle's 8-month-old son. John Ploetz accompanied his daughter out of concern for her safety. After the meal, he was driving the group home when the unthinkable happened. As they drove along White Bear Avenue, Hendricks, who was seated in the backseat with Michelle and their son, suddenly shot her in the head. When her father stopped the car to intervene, Hendricks fired at him as well, shattering the windshield. John Ploetz fled the vehicle, and Hendricks chased him for a short distance before running off.
Police arrived to find a horrific scene, with Michelle unconscious in the backseat next to her unharmed infant son. She was rushed to Regions Hospital, where she died from her injuries on April 17, 2014. In a final act of generosity, her organs were donated. Hendricks was arrested later at the same hospital. He claimed to police that he heard voices in his head and had blacked out during the shooting.
Timothy Scott Hendricks was charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder. In August, he pleaded guilty to both charges, though he maintained that he was under the influence of drugs and had no memory of the events. A judge sentenced Hendricks to nearly 48 years in prison for the murder of Michelle Ploetz and the attempted murder of her father.
