Medical Examiner Identifies Victims and Suspect in Minnesota Daycare Murder-Suicide

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has identified the victims and alleged perpetrator of a multi-site tragedy that unfolded across Hopkins and Burnsville, Minnesota, leaving four people dead, according to law enforcement records and official medical examiner data cited by FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. Investigators identified Nathan Matthew Brown, 41, as the man allegedly responsible for the deaths of 41-year-old Kristen Ann Brown and 7-year-old Evie Ann Brown inside an in-home daycare facility in Hopkins. Police have also linked the deaths to the death of 78-year-old Alice Anne Brown, who was found dead at a residence in Burnsville on the same day.

The incident began around 9 a.m. on a Wednesday when Hopkins police received an emergency 911 call from a parent arriving at Brown Bear Childcare, situated in the 200 block of Tyler Avenue North. According to a search warrant filed in Hennepin County and detailed by FOX 9, the arriving parent heard children screaming from the rear of the home, entered through a back door, and witnessed a man on top of a woman. The witness reported seeing the man armed with a screwdriver and “actively stabbing” the woman. The witness also stated the man stabbed his daughter before gathering his two children, along with two other children present in the home, and leaving the home before calling 911.

When officers entered the residence, they discovered Kristen Ann Brown and Evie Ann Brown dead on the kitchen floor, while investigators recovered a screwdriver at the scene. Authorities subsequently located Nathan Matthew Brown dead inside an upper-level closet, having died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Six other children inside the home during the incident were not injured and were later reunited with their parents.

Search Warrant Reveals Prior Marital Strain and Burnsville Connection

Court documents filed in the investigation indicate that the violence extended to a Burnsville home. Police confirmed that Alice Anne Brown, 78, was found dead at a home in Burnsville on the same day, with investigators stating they believe her death to be related to the Hopkins incident.

Search warrants and police findings reviewed by local media outlets show that the couple lived at the Hopkins home. Investigators uncovered a newsletter sent out by the daycare owner approximately two weeks prior to the deaths, in which she informed recipients that she would be closing the daycare due to relationship issues with the man, according to the warrant. Police noted that the suspect may have recently been living with the 78-year-old woman who was found dead at a Burnsville home.

Domestic Violence Experts Highlight Hidden Abuse Realities

Investigators found no prior domestic violence record, but experts say that is not uncommon, as victims often hesitate to report abuse due to fear of escalating danger.

Katie Kramer, co-executive director of Violence Free Minnesota, explained in statements reported by FOX 9 that domestic abuse frequently remains hidden. Kramer pointed out that many individuals experiencing abuse avoid involving law enforcement because they fear such actions could increase the immediate risk to themselves or their families.

An impromptu memorial has since formed outside the Brown Bear Childcare facility in Hopkins. Local authorities and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner continue to compile evidence regarding the deaths.