A man in Minnesota was charged with murder after he killed a “wrong person” instead of his ex-girlfriend, authorities said.
Suspect Found Armed With Rifle And Handgun
According to a news release by the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received a call at 11 p.m. last Thursday regarding shots fired near the Cozy Bay Resort on Lake Edward in Nisswa.
Deputies responded to the scene and found 29-year-old Cameron Jay Moser, from Brainerd, armed with a rifle and a handgun, People reported Wednesday citing the news release.
The release also stated that deputies negotiated with Moser for over two hours to lay down his weapons. He was eventually arrested and taken into custody.
Victim’s Body Discovered
During a search at the crime scene, the Crow Wing County Tactical Response Team discovered the body of 46-year-old Nisswa resident, Bethany Ann Bernatsky.
Bertnatsky’s body was found in the hallway of one of the resort cabins. The press release also stated that she was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene, Minneapolis Star Tribune reported citing the criminal complaint report.
A Case Of ‘Mistaken Identity’
Crow Wing County Sheriff Scott Goddard said Tuesday that they are looking into the possibility that Moser wanted to shoot his 26-year-old ex-girlfriend who is the daughter of the previous owner of the resort, Star Tribune reported.
According to Bret Jevning, a week before the incident, Moser came to the RV park he owns across the street from the resort and said he was looking for his daughter.
Jevning said that Moser was not happy about his daughter getting control of her drug abuse through counseling and that used to mock her by using drugs, according to People.
“He was angry because we weren’t giving him access to my daughter,” Jevning said.
On the night of the incident, Moser “mistook (the victim) for her daughter,” reports said.
Ben Bernatsky, brother of the victim, told Star Tribune that Moser’s ex-girlfriend looked like Bethany Ann Bernatsky. According to him, they had the same body structure, hair, and color and claimed that Moser killed the wrong person.
Moser has been charged with second-degree intentional murder and remains on hold with $1 million bail. He is set to be in court on Oct. 20.
As of present, it is still not stated if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
Bernatsky’s Family And Friends Grieve After The Incident
According to Bernatsky’s brother, his sister was a prominent horse trainer before. She grew up in the Brainerd Lakes area and had recently moved back from Vermont for the winter.
A friend of the victim wrote in a Facebook post that Bernatsky believed that everyone has value and she treated them appropriately. The post also stated that Bernatsky made people around her feel loved and important.
