Minneapolis, Minn. —
A jealous husband donned a mask and used a hammer to hit his wife, another man, and his wife's two teenage daughters in the head before calling 911 to report the assault, according to criminal charges filed Wednesday.
Brian Daniel Freeman, 29, of Ceylon, was charged in Faribault County with one count of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder for Monday's home invasion in Blue Earth that killed Christopher Michael Fulmer, 37.
Freeman's wife, Candice Marie Freeman, 38, and her two teen daughters, ages 15 and 19, suffered life-threatening injuries and had multiple skull fractures. Doctors said it appeared the 15-year-old was struck while she was sleeping.
Brian Freeman was in custody and bail was set at $2 million during a court appearance Wednesday.
According to a criminal complaint, a masked man entered the house where Fulmer was staying early Monday and began assaulting the occupants. Authorities said they got a call about 12:30 a.m. from a man who said something about a murder. The dispatcher heard screaming.
Authorities found Fulmer in bed in an upstairs bedroom, dead, and lying on his back with significant head trauma. Candice Freeman was found on the same bed, injured and pleading for help, the complaint said.
The 19-year-old was found upstairs and her injuries were so severe she could not be interviewed. The 15-year-old told authorities she woke up when she heard her sister screaming and went upstairs to find her mother fighting with a man in dark clothing. The 15-year-old said her head hurt.
The Freemans have a 6-year-old daughter together, and she was not injured.
According to the complaint, Freeman told authorities he drove to Blue Earth on Sunday night and parked near the house, then eventually walked inside with a hammer and went to an upstairs bedroom.
"Freeman said that he couldn't really remember the specifics of what then occurred but he believed that he struck Chris Fulmer in the head with the hammer several times," the complaint said. Fulmer allegedly told authorities he believed his wife was injured because she was near Fulmer and "got caught in the crossfire."
When asked how the teens were hurt, he suggested they came up behind him during the attack and were somehow hit. Freeman said that after the attack he used a cellphone to call 911, then left.
He told authorities he threw the hammer out the window while driving home, the complaint said.
Freeman's attorney, Bill Grogin, said he'll seek a written transcript of that interview. He said he met with his client briefly. "He was obviously very nervous and very concerned about the charges against him," Grogin said.
The landlord of the property told police Fulmer had said he was dating a married woman and the husband was jealous. He said the woman had been staying with Fulmer for several months.
When Freeman was first interviewed, he told investigators he and Candice were not having problems and Candice was at Fulmer's because he was a friend and they had a child about the same age. Authorities examined his text messages and found one sent to his wife that said: "R U Leving me for someone else.
Authorities found two masks in Freeman's vehicle. They also watched as he put a garbage bag in his car, and later found that it held clothing that contained human blood.
County Attorney Troy Timmerman said he's impressed that law enforcement started out this case with multiple victims and an unknown masked assailant, and ultimately had a suspect in custody within 24 hours.
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