New details are being released about a suspected murder-suicide at a daycare in Hopkins on Wednesday, in which a man killed his wife and daughter before taking his own life.
Law enforcement was called to a Hopkins home daycare on the 200 block of Tyler Avenue North around 9 a.m. on Wednesday on a report of a stabbing.
Court filings say that when officers arrived, they found 41-year-old Kristen Ann Brown and a 7-year-old girl, known as Evie, lying on the kitchen floor covered in blood and “clearly deceased.”
A man, later identified as 41-year-old Nathan Brown, was found dead in an upstairs closet from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the search warrant.
New Details
The witness who initially called 911 told officers he came to drop his children off at the daycare on Wednesday morning and heard screaming coming from the basement.
Court filings say that when the witness entered the home, he saw Nathan on top of Kristen, and a screwdriver lying on the girl’s torso.
The witness said he thought Nathan was giving Kristen CPR before he realized he had a screwdriver in his hand and was stabbing her, the warrant states. He said he then took his children and two other children to safety, but not before witnessing Nathan stabbing Evie.
Court records say the witness knew Evie to be Nathan’s daughter that he shared with Kristen. The two lived together and ran the home daycare.
In addition to the three people found dead, police found six children inside the daycare, all described as “very young” and physically unharmed. They are all back with their families, police said on Wednesday.
The witness told police he had received a letter from Kristen about two weeks ago stating the daycare would be closing due to “relationship issues with Nathan,” the warrant states.
Investigators later linked the tragic murder-suicide to another homicide in Burnsville. In that incident, the victim, a 78-year-old woman, is believed to be “a close family relative” of Nathan, police say. More information on that incident is expected to be released at a later time.
RELATED: Fatal Burnsville stabbing believed to be connected to Hopkins murder-suicide
On Thursday, a small memorial for the girl and her mother was seen growing at the Hopkins daycare. Flowers, a candle and a small plushie were seen lining the concrete just outside the home.
“She was an amazing, amazing mother.”
Iola Kostrzewski is still working through the shock of hearing about the deaths of Kristen and her daughter Evie. Kostrzewski confirmed the picture of Brown that KSTP is using. It’s from the Brown Bear Childcare Facebook page.
The reality of loss is settling in for those who knew and loved the daycare provider and her daughter. Even those in the community who didn’t know the two personally said they recognized the pair around the neighborhood.
The grief at their loss extends well beyond this neighborhood. Kostrzewski moved away years ago, but says Kristen provided emergency daycare for her kids for about a year.
“I really want to focus on Kristen,” Kostrzewski said. “But … just a lot of confusion there of, like, what is going on?”
Many in the neighborhood who’ve spoken with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS don’t want to appear on camera. Some said they just can’t handle the emotions. One woman broke into tears as she talked about how much she loved Kristen and Evie.
“She was funny and witty,” Kostrzewski said of Kristen. “She was an amazing caregiver, not only to her daughter but to all the children in her care. She was an amazing businesswoman.”
She says Kristen was a woman who truly cared.
“When she asked you, ‘How are you?’ she, like, truly meant, like, ‘How are you?’ Not small talk, but very much like, ‘How are you?’ And she wanted to hear the answer. How are you doing? She was amazing.”
Heidi Garrido has her own memories and grief. Her daughter attended school with Kristen’s daughter.
“It was always just so fun to watch the girls interact,” Garrido said. “And Kristen always volunteered, and so she was always there in the classroom with us.”
Evie, she said, like many girls her age, was into things like unicorns and K-Pop.
Garrido is working to coordinate a vigil for the two.
It’s something Kostrzewski wishes she could attend, but she’s moved out of town. Instead, she wrote her own tribute.
“I don’t want the worst thing that happened to Kristen to become the entirety of who Kristen was. There are families all over this community who know her because she cared for their children. I knew a woman who showed up for me during one of the hardest periods of my life and helped keep me going as a parent. That is part of her story too. Kristen was a mother, a business owner, and a community member, and that is what I hope the state of Minnesota takes. “
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, several resources are available to offer help. For immediate help, contact:
More than 12 million people just in the U.S. are affected by domestic violence every year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
The organizations listed above can help connect victims to resources like safe shelter, advocacy, legal help and support groups.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline also offers tips for identifying abuse and supporting victims of abuse. CLICK HERE to see those.
Other organizations that can help include:
Minnesota also has a list of many other resources for victims of crimes that can be found HERE.
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