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A Minnesota man will spend the next decade in prison after he admitted to fatally shooting his mother and breaking into a neighbor’s home while blacked out after taking drugs.
Jamie Lee Voelker pleaded guilty to one count each of murder in the second degree and first-degree burglary in July following the death of his mother, Kathryn Voelker.
More than two months after he entered the plea, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office announced in a news release that Jamie, 39, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison on Friday, October 2.
He discovered his fate less than one year after the deadly incident took place on July 23, 2025. At the time, Jamie went to his mother’s home in Windom, Minnesota, in the early hours of the morning. Authorities said he then shot Kathryn, 70, seven times with a .22-caliber handgun.
Police were called to the house, and a witness told authorities that Jamie was the shooter.
Kathryn was then rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, and she was ultimately pronounced dead. An autopsy was later conducted, which revealed her cause of death was blood loss from multiple gunshot wounds.
After he shot his mother, Jamie broke into a neighbor’s home and damaged the bathroom. The neighbor called the police and Jamie was arrested soon after.
An investigation was then launched into the matter, and authorities learned that Jamie smoked from a THC vape prior to the violence. He later told investigators that he had no memory of committing the crimes due to the potency of the marijuana.
Jamie pleaded as part of a deal with prosecutors, who dismissed an additional intentional murder charge.
The defendant entered a “Norgaard plea,” which allows a defendant to plead guilty even when they cannot fully recall what happened during the crime in the state of Minnesota. As part of the plea, the defendant concedes that the state’s evidence would be sufficient for a jury to determine they were guilty without reasonable doubt.
“Voelker’s crime is absolutely horrific for his family and the entire community of Windom,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said following his sentencing. “We can never bring his mother back, but I hope that his being held accountable is an important step in healing.”
Attorney General Ellison’s office prosecuted Jamie following a referral from Cottonwood County Attorney Nick Anderson, according to the press release.
The case was investigated by the Windom Police Department, Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
