Hudson Man Charged with Second-Degree Murder in Fatal Shooting of South St. Paul Roommate
Provided by the Dakota County Jail.
SOUTH ST PAUL, MINNESOTA—A 36-year-old Hudson, Wisconsin man has been charged with second-degree intentional murder in the shooting death of his 72-year-old roommate in South St. Paul, according to a press release issued Monday evening by Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena.
Jacob John Audie faces one count of second-degree murder with intent, not premeditated, in connection with the April 11 death of Michael Maurice Schille, a South St. Paul resident. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court, officers with the South St. Paul Police Department responded to a 911 call from Audie at approximately 8:48 p.m. Friday evening. Audie reportedly told dispatchers that he had shot his roommate and that the firearm was on the couch. When officers arrived at the apartment building at 707 12th Avenue North, Audie was found standing in the parking lot with a phone in hand. He complied with officers and was taken into custody without incident.
Rough location of the shooting incident.
Inside the residence, authorities discovered Schille deceased in a back bedroom, seated on a couch with a television remote in his hand. He had sustained a single gunshot wound to the left side of his face. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene. Investigators recovered an AR-style rifle leaning against a living room couch, a loaded magazine on the kitchen table, another magazine on a bedroom table, and a spent carbine casing near the victim. The rifle used in the shooting belonged to Schille, according to Audie's statement to police.
Audie told investigators that he had lived with Schille for the past one to two years, helping care for him and cleaning the apartment. He admitted to using Schille’s AR15 rifle to shoot him once in the head while the victim was seated in his bedroom. Following the shooting, Audie said he removed the magazine and a live round from the chamber, placed them nearby, and called 911.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy and determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the head. The manner of death was ruled a homicide. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) processed the crime scene, and a search warrant was executed on the apartment.
During his initial court appearance on Monday, Judge Luis Morales set bail at $1 million without conditions or $750,000 with conditions. Audie’s criminal history includes a 2018 gross misdemeanor conviction for 5th-degree drug possession.
Audie’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 21 at 9 a.m. at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings.
County Attorney Keena thanked the South St. Paul Police Department and the Minnesota BCA for their thorough work on the case.
This article provides an overview of the allegations against Audie, detailing the charges, evidence, and potential legal outcomes. The community is reminded that charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Further updates on this case will depend on the progress of the legal proceedings.
Written By: Will Wight
