Forest Lake Man Expected To Get 30 Years For Murdering Girlfriend
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 27-year-old Forest Lake man has pleaded guilty to murdering his girlfriend and staying with her body for days until police arrived, according to the Washington County Attorney's Office.
County Attorney Pete Orput says Lauren Lynch entered the plea of guilty to second-degree intentional murder in the Sept. 8, 2015 slaying of his girlfriend. He then agreed to serve 367 months in prison for the offense.
According to the criminal complaint, on Friday, Sept. 11, police officers were dispatched to an apartment building on 956 12th St. SW to investigate a foul smell, possibly a dead body, coming from one of the apartments.
When officers knocked on the suspected apartment, there was no response. After receiving a key from the apartment manager, officers tried opening the door, but it appeared that a chair was leaning up under the doorknob, barricading the door closed. That's when a man's voice was heard inside the apartment, refusing to let officers in and telling them that his girlfriend, who recently moved in, was at work.
The man eventually came out of the apartment and placed his hands out, indicating that he should be handcuffed. He said, "she's inside", and identified himself as Lynch.
A deceased female was found inside lying near a couch covered in blankets with a pillow over her head. An autopsy later determined she died from homicidal violence with the primary cause of death as asphyxiation.
In a later interview with police, Lynch told police the victim and he had gotten into a dispute on Sept. 8 and it turned violent. He admitted to punching the victim in the face and attempting to strangle her. He said he put a pillow over her face in order to suffocate her, and stabbed her in the neck several times with a kitchen knife.
"We are grateful that one who has committed such a brutal murder has been brought to justice. While no amount of time can adequately atone for this offense, we feel that the interest of future public safety has been satisfied," Orput said.
Lynch's sentencing has been set for Aug. 5, 2016 for 8:30 a.m.