RED LAKE WOMAN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR MURDERING TWO YOUNG SONS AND SETTING HOME ON FIRE

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA — Jennifer Marie Stately, 37, of Red Lake, Minnesota, was sentenced to life in federal prison on November 6, 2026, for murdering two of her young sons and setting their home on fire on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim imposed the sentence following Stately’s conviction on five counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson.

A federal jury found Stately guilty on February 25, 2026, following a two-and-a-half-week trial. The convictions stemmed from the March 15, 2024, killings at the family residence on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. Evidence presented during the proceedings established that Stately was alone with her two young sons when the violence occurred, resulting in the deaths of both children under circumstances investigated by federal, state, and tribal authorities.

According to evidence presented at trial, Stately physically assaulted both boys, inflicting numerous injuries before attacking them with a knife. She fatally stabbed her older son, whose death was attributed to sharp-force injuries. After the stabbing, Stately deliberately set multiple fires throughout the residence, creating an additional deadly threat to her younger child, who remained inside the home. The sequence of violence and the intentionally set fires formed central elements of the federal prosecution.

Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined that Stately used gasoline and lighter fluid to ignite three separate fires inside the residence. The investigation established that fires had been deliberately positioned at both exits of the home, creating dangerous conditions for anyone attempting to escape. Although the younger boy survived the physical injuries inflicted upon him, he became trapped inside the burning residence and died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The ATF’s findings established the use of accelerants and the number and placement of the fires.

Following the killings, Stately fled the Red Lake Indian Reservation and remained missing for several hours. The Red Lake Tribal Police Department issued an AMBER Alert as authorities worked to locate her. Less than an hour after the alert was issued, a motorist spotted Stately in Todd County, approximately 150 miles south of the family residence. Minnesota State Patrol, the Todd County Sheriff’s Department, and the Long Prairie Police Department responded to the location, where Stately was apprehended and taken into custody at the Todd County Jail.

United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen condemned the killings and expressed condolences to the children’s surviving family members and the Red Lake community. FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson emphasized that the life sentence holds Stately accountable for the violence inflicted upon her children, although the punishment cannot reverse the devastating loss.

ATF St. Paul Field Division Special Agent in Charge Joseph Persails addressed the destructive role of the intentionally set fires, emphasizing that arson can result in fatalities far beyond property damage. He also acknowledged the lasting emotional impact on the ATF Certified Fire Investigator who responded to the scene. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans described the murders as an ultimate betrayal, emphasizing the suffering left behind by the children’s deaths.

Red Lake Department of Public Safety Director Kendall Kingbird Sr. thanked federal, state, local, and tribal authorities for their work in bringing the case to justice. He also expressed the Red Lake Nation’s continuing grief over the deaths of the two children, whose loss has deeply affected the community.

The federal investigation was led by the FBI, with assistance from the ATF, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Todd County Sheriff’s Department, Long Prairie Police Department, and Red Lake Tribal Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Garrett S. Fields prosecuted the case.

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