Dateline: Far From Spider Lake – 5 harrowing details about Jan Kruse’s murder, explored

The Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode titled Far From Spider Lake takes a deep dive into the chilling death of Jan Kruse that occurred in 2015. Her mysterious death remains one of the most complicated and emotionally charged unsolved cases aired on the show. The Dateline episode features the complex family dynamics and conflicting evidence that have led the investigation nowhere, even after nearly ten years.

Janette "Jan" Kruse was 40 years of age when she was lethally shot in Brewster, Minnesota, in 2015. She was shot twice with a 12-gauge shotgun on her bed as she slept beside her husband, Chris. One shot struck her fatally in the chest, while the other missed and hit the headboard. Despite an extensive investigation, the murder case remains unsolved and continues to haunt the town.

Here are the five harrowing details about the case as depicted on Dateline.

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5 harrowing details of Jan Kruse's murder as shown on Dateline

Chris Kruse, her husband, became the primary suspect during the early investigation, but was acquitted by the jury in 2020. In addition, a lingering suspicion was also on their 15-year-old daughter Bailey's boyfriend, Jeremy Majerus. The kids had been dating without parents' approval, and Jeremy was forbidden from seeing Baily at the time.

Here are the 5 harrowing details of the mysterious case.

1) Fatally Shot in Bed

On August 19, 2015, Jan Kruse was found fatally shot in her Brewster, Minnesota, home. She was struck in the chest by a 12-gauge shotgun blast while reportedly sleeping beside her husband, Chris Kruse. A second shot missed its intended target, hitting the bed's headboard and exiting through the wall. The catch is that Chris was uninjured despite sleeping beside her, which raises questions about the shooting's execution. Chris was the one who called 911 and informed the authorities about the murder.

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2) Suspicious Crime Scene

During the investigation, the officials found a broken window and an open back door, suggesting someone broke into he house. However, investigators found no footprints or signs of forced entry, and a K-9 unit failed to detect an intruder's scent. The case was full of inconsistencies, therefore remaining unsolved. But this suggested that the crime scene was staged to divert from the reality.

When Bailey heard her dad scream, she simply texted her mother question marks as she had no clue what to do otherwise. Bailey later told authorities,

“I didn’t really know if I should get out of bed, or just stay in bed, so I kinda stayed in bed. And I texted my mom, like, question marks ‘cause I didn’t really know what I was supposed to do."

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3) Inconsistent Statements by Chris Kruse

The suspicious crime scene further made Chris Kruse the prime suspect. The officials noted that his accounts of the events were inconsistent. He initially claimed to have heard one gunshot, but the evidence suggests two gunshots were fired. Additionally, he stated he found Jan lying in bed, but the autopsy indicates she was sitting up when shot. Therefore, these discrepancies raised doubts about his involvement, and Chris was charged with degree one and two murder, as shown on Dateline.

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4) Financial Motive

Investigators uncovered that Chris and Jan were planning to purchase a resort in Spider Lake, Minnesota. Around that time, Chris had put in his second offer of $150,000, more than the initial amount. This amount coincided with Jan's life insurance payout as per the Dateline episode. Prosecutors suggested this could have been a motive for the murder, although defence attorneys disputed this claim.

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5) Acquittal and Ongoing Mystery

Chris Kruse was acquitted of all charges related to Jan's murder in 2020. The jury concluded that the prosecution failed to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Despite the trial's outcome, the discrepancies in evidence did not lead the prosecutors anywhere, and the case remains unsolved.

Chris in the Dateline episode says that the authorities are not working efficiently. He further added that he still longs for his wife, Jan.

“I miss everything. I miss watching her get ready for work in the morning, I miss my ‘have a good day’ kiss and ‘hey honey’ when I come home from work. I miss her smile and the sound of her voice. Jan was the best."

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The Dateline episode exploring the mysterious murder of Jan Kruse is streaming now on Peacock.