Dateline: Far From Spider Lake - What happened to Jan Kruse? Harrowing Minnesota murder case, unearthed

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode titled Far From Spider Lake, which premiered in July 2024 on Oxygen explored the case as family and friends share the harrowing story. The murder of Minnesota resident, Jan Kruse, remains an unsolved case to date. The investigators of the murder case took every possible route to uncover the truth.

Jan was allegedly shot twice in her bedroom with her husband, Chris, sleeping next to her. Days before the murder, the couple dreamt of buying a property at Spider Lake, Minnesota. The murder case went on for three years with her husband as the main suspect. However, the jury dropped all the charges because of a lack of substantial evidence.

The official synopsis from the show said,

‘A 40-year-old Minnesota woman is shot to death in her bed while her husband and teenage daughter are home, leaving investigators to wonder who would want her dead.’

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Who was Jan Kruse?

Jan Kruse was a 40-year-old woman living in the small town of Brewster, Minnesota. She was married to Chris Kruse for over 20 years and had two children. Her family was known for her friendly and outgoing nature. She was working in the front office of a local plant.

Jan and Chris were reportedly interested in buying a beautiful resort in Spider Lake, a place that they were both extremely fond of. The property was a six-hour drive from their home, where they enjoyed to vacation. A few days before Jan’s death, they both also offered to buy the property to take it up as a business themselves, but they fell short of funds.

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Dateline- What happened on August 19, 2015

Jan and Chris were fast asleep when she was shot dead. Chris allegedly heard the loud bang of a gunshot at 2.30 am and woke up in panic. He also woke his daughter, Bailey, who was sleeping in the basement. He called the 911 at 2.39 am.

When the dispatcher arrived, Chris informed that he had allegedly found the back door wide open when he went to check on the intruder. The police did not find any footprints inside the house to indicate a home invasion.

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The prime suspects

Jan was shot twice using a 12-gauge shotgun. The authorities had three suspects in the murder case. Chris, Bailey, and Bailey’s boyfriend, Jeremy Majerus.

19-year-old Jeremy Majerus was then 15-year-old Bailey’s boyfriend. Jan and Chris were against their relationship but the two remained close. Upon further interrogation and cell phone record investigation, the involvement of Jeremy and Bailey was ruled out.

Chris became the sole suspect in the case, especially after the ballistic expert determined that the shotgun that was found in Chris’s shop was the same as the spent shell casing at their house. The authorities also found several discrepancies in the accounts given by Chris during the interrogation and his 911 call on the night of the murder. The prosecutors concluded that Chris killed Jan to get the life insurance money to buy the Spider Lake Resort.

Chris was arrested with first-degree premeditated murder charges even though Jan’s family earnestly stood by his innocence. In early 2020, Chris went through a lengthy trial. He was acquitted of all charges as the authorities failed to prove Chris’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Where the case stands today

After Chris was acquitted, Nobles County Attorney Joseph Sanow put out a statement,

‘We are disappointed with the jury’s verdict of not guilty. We continue to believe that on Aug. 19, 2015, Christopher Kruse intentionally shot and killed Janette Pigman-Kruse in the bedroom of their Brewster home. However, we are sworn to support the federal and state constitutions, both of which give individuals accused of a crime the right to have their guilt or innocence determined by a jury. We support that right, regardless of the outcome.’

Jan’s family still hopes to find answers. However, the prosecutors believe that they found the killer, but with no other substantial evidence, the case remains unsolved.