Jurors rejected an insanity defense after a two-and-a-half-week trial in Minneapolis.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A conviction of murder and arson came in for a Red Lake woman at the hands of a federal jury after prosecutors said she fatally attacked her two young sons at their home on Red Lake Nation, then set fires at the house’s exits before fleeing with a third child on March 15, 2024.

Thursday’s verdict brought a formal end to the trial phase in one of northern Minnesota’s most disturbing child homicide cases in recent memory. Jennifer Marie Stately, 37, was found guilty on six counts after prosecutors said she killed 6-year-old Remi Stately, injured 5-year-old Tristan Stately and then set three fires inside the family home. Authorities said Tristan, trapped by the fire, later died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The jury rejected Stately’s insanity defense, leaving sentencing as the next major step.

The violence unfolded on March 15, 2024, at the family’s home on Red Lake Nation. Prosecutors said Stately was alone with the children when she attacked the boys, causing numerous injuries and using a knife. Remi, the older child, was fatally stabbed in the chest, according to charging records and trial evidence. Tristan suffered wounds but was still alive when the fire was set, authorities said. Investigators later concluded that gasoline and lighter fluid were used to ignite three separate fires inside the house, including fires at both exits. That detail became one of the case’s most important facts because it helped explain why Tristan could not get out. In announcing the verdict, Rick Evanchec of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office said the boys had “no chance at survival” while in the care of the person who should have protected them. That line captured the prosecution’s view of a crime that combined direct violence with a deliberate fire trap.

After the fire was started, prosecutors said, Stately left the scene with her youngest child, then 3 years old. A statewide AMBER Alert went out later that night after law enforcement discovered the fire and realized she was gone with the surviving child. Authorities said a motorist spotted her vehicle in Todd County, roughly 150 miles south of the home, less than an hour after the alert was issued. Officers from the Minnesota State Patrol, the Todd County Sheriff’s Office and the Long Prairie Police Department responded and took her into custody. The third child was recovered alive. Federal prosecutors said that child showed visible signs of neglect when officers found him. Earlier court records described severe hygiene and medical issues, including untreated sores, badly decayed teeth and feet so scabbed he had trouble standing. Those details helped support child abuse-related charges and gave jurors a broader look at the conditions surrounding the family before the killings.

The case moved from the reservation to federal court because the deaths happened on tribal land, where serious crimes can trigger federal jurisdiction. The indictment first announced in May 2024 charged Stately with murder, arson and child neglect. By the time of verdict, the jury convicted her of two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of murder committed during child abuse, one count of murder committed during arson and one count of arson. Federal officials said local state charges in Todd County were dismissed so the matter could proceed federally. During trial in downtown Minneapolis, defense lawyers argued that Stately was legally insane when the killings happened. Reporting from the courtroom said the defense claimed she believed her young sons would kill her. Jurors rejected that argument after deliberating briefly. The verdict signaled that they accepted the government’s version that the attacks and fire showed intent, planning and criminal responsibility.

The deaths of Remi and Tristan stunned families across Red Lake Nation and beyond. Remi was remembered in an obituary as a playful child who loved “Toy Story” and “Bubble Guppies.” Tristan was described as an outgoing middle child who looked after his brothers. Those personal details stood in sharp contrast to the courtroom language of counts, exhibits and forensic findings. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said the case left lasting harm for the boys’ relatives and the wider Red Lake community. Kendall Kingbird Sr., director of the Red Lake Department of Public Safety, said no verdict could undo the pain of the loss but that the outcome mattered to a community that had lived with the case for nearly two years. The investigation drew together tribal, federal, state and local agencies, with the FBI leading and the ATF, BCA and several law enforcement departments assisting.

The case now shifts to sentencing in U.S. District Court. Prosecutors have not publicly announced a sentencing date, and the court will decide punishment after post-trial procedures are completed. The verdict leaves Stately convicted on all six counts returned to the jury, with the insanity defense fully rejected. For the families affected and for Red Lake Nation, the next milestone will come when a federal judge sets the sentence and formally closes the criminal case.

Author note: Last updated March 26, 2026.