In the small community of Alpha, Michigan, a domestic dispute escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of 29-year-old Jamie Lee James. A lifelong resident of Alpha, Jamie was known as a caring individual who loved children and the outdoors. She was a familiar and friendly face to many in the close-knit town.
On the evening of June 22, 2016, deputies from the Iron County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of shots fired at a residence in Alpha.
Upon arrival, they discovered Jamie Lee James deceased inside the home. Alongside her was her stepfather, Alfred Saario, who had sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face in an apparent murder-suicide attempt. Saario was transported to a hospital in Wisconsin for treatment of his injuries.
The investigation into Jamie's death quickly focused on her 65-year-old stepfather, Alfred Saario. Authorities learned that the fatal shooting stemmed from an argument over a cell phone. Following his release from the hospital, Saario was arrested and charged with open murder and discharging a firearm in a building causing death. His self-inflicted injuries left him unable to speak during the initial court proceedings.
After a week-long trial, a jury deliberated for three hours before finding Alfred Saario guilty of second-degree murder and the firearm charge. In September 2017, he was sentenced to serve 25 to 40 years in prison for the murder of his stepdaughter, Jamie Lee James.
