On the evening of February 12, 2012, Bret Struck, a 42-year-old Caucasian male, was in his Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, home. That night, his life was tragically cut short when his ex-girlfriend, Rochelle Lynn Inselman, arrived at his residence. Struck was unaware that Inselman, with whom he had ended a relationship in 2004, was armed with a 9mm handgun. An argument ensued between the two, culminating in Inselman shooting Struck multiple times. A concerned co-worker discovered his body on the kitchen floor the following day after he failed to show up for work. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner later confirmed that he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation into Bret Struck's death soon focused on Rochelle Inselman, who had subjected him to years of harassment following their breakup. Authorities learned that her obsession with Struck had led her to engage in a relentless campaign of torment, which included hacking his Facebook account to send defamatory messages to his friends and family, and stealing his identity to open fraudulent credit card accounts. Despite her attempts to mislead investigators by denying she had been in the Twin Cities area, evidence placed her near Struck's home multiple times in the week leading up to the murder. A crucial piece of evidence emerged when a maintenance worker discovered a gun box in a trash can at a rest stop near Clearwater. Investigators were able to trace this box back to Inselman, linking her to the murder weapon.
Rochelle Lynn Inselman, then 39, of Eden Valley, was arrested and charged with second-degree intentional murder. Initially indicted for first-degree murder, she later pleaded guilty to the lesser charge. In court, it was revealed that Inselman went to Struck's home that night with the intention to "discuss things with him." When asked if she intended to kill him, she responded, "I think so." As part of a plea agreement, Inselman was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of Bret Struck. The gun used in the shooting was never recovered.
