What happened to Jan Pigman-Kruse, and why did she die?

Jan Pigman-Kruse was discovered dead in her Minnesota home on August 19.
The details surrounding Jan Pigman-Kruse’s untimely demise are detailed below.
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Who was Jan Pigman-Kruse?
On September 24th, 1974, Jan Pigman-Kruse was born in Worthington, Minnesota.
Pigman-Kruse earned her two-year degree from Worthington Community College.
Jan and Christopher Kruse tied the knot on October 7, 1995. Bailey Kruse is the name of the daughter the couple shares.
In her obituary, Jan’s family recalled that she had a passion for exploring new places, quilting, and gardening.


She was 40 years old at the time of her death.
What was her cause of death?
Before dawn on August 19, 2015, Christopher Kruse called 911 after finding his wife shot in the chest.
Kruse said that he heard the gunshot while they were sleeping in their Brewster, Minnesota, home.
Kruse called the police after making sure his daughter was okay in another room.
According to Kruse, the mysterious visitor entered the house through the backyard.
According to Jan’s autopsy results, Pigman-Kruse was likely awake at the time of her death but did not suffer any trauma prior to it.

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Was her killer caught?
Chris Kruse was indicted for first-degree premeditated murder of his wife in March 2019.
Two shotgun shells of the same 12-gauge caliber as the one used by Kruse were located at the scene.
Kruse claimed an intruder broke in and murdered his wife, but he did nothing to beef up security after the murder.
After deliberating for 12 hours, the jury announced their not guilty verdict against Kruse on February 13, 2020.
The investigation has since been closed.
In 2020, an NBC special called Far From Spider Lake devoted two hours to the story of Jan’s death.


This particular rerun will air again on Dateline Weekend NBC on March 19, 2023.
This Sunday at 7pm ET, NBC will air the Far From Spider Lake episode.