On a cold December day in 1993, just before Christmas, the life of 28-year-old Maryann 'Mary' Hagford was tragically cut short in her Crystal, Minnesota, home. A single gunshot to the head ended her life, leaving a void in the lives of her parents, four brothers, and one sister. The man responsible was her longtime companion, Paul Arthur Wilson.
Their relationship, which began in 1986 after they met as coworkers, was described as being marked by regular alcohol consumption.
In 1988, they purchased a house together on Vera Cruz Avenue, where they lived intermittently. The events that led to Maryann's death began on the morning of December 19, 1993. Wilson started drinking early that day. Later that morning, the couple went to buy a Christmas tree and stopped at a VFW bar next to the tree lot. Wilson had two shots of tequila while Maryann had one beer.
By the afternoon, an argument had reportedly erupted at their home, centered around the Christmas tree they had just purchased. The state's theory at trial was that Maryann was kneeling to saw the base of the tree when Wilson shot her in the back of the head. Shortly after the shooting, Wilson made a frantic call to his parents, exclaiming, 'Mama, mama, come quick!'. Police were dispatched to the home and found Maryann's body in the living room, which was in a state of disarray with numerous alcohol bottles present.
Within an hour of the shooting, Paul Arthur Wilson was arrested in connection with Maryann Hagford's death. He was subsequently charged with premeditated first-degree murder. Following a trial in 1994, a jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison. Over the years, Wilson appealed his conviction and sought postconviction relief, but his conviction was affirmed. After serving 30 years of his sentence, the possibility of his parole became a new source of pain for Maryann's still-grieving family.
