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Dateline: Secrets Uncovered, episode titled, Far From Spider Lake, revolves around the death of Janette Pigman in 2015. The episode aired on the newsmagazine show in July 2024.
Christopher D. Kruse was a carpenter in Brewster, Minnesota, who married Janette “Jan” Pigman in 1995. Over the next twenty years, they built a home, raised two children, Isaac and Bailey, and dreamed of one day owning the Spider Lake Resort they often visited.
In the early hours of August 19, 2015, Chris called 911 after hearing a loud noise and finding Jan unresponsive in their bedroom. Though he reported no signs of forced entry, investigators later tied key evidence back to his workshop. Even after nearly ten years, the case remains unsolved.
Who was Christopher Kruse, and his life like before the shooting
Christopher Kruse grew up in Worthington, Minnesota, and learned carpentry from his father. He opened his woodworking shop just outside Brewster, where neighbors knew him for helping with home repairs and community projects. Chris and Jan met in the early 1990s and married in 1995, settling in a quiet neighborhood with their two children.
They spent summers at the Spider Lake Resort, where they hoped to one day run the cabins and docks together. Friends described Chris as a devoted father who coached Isaac’s baseball team and helped Bailey with school projects.
What happened the morning Jan was shot in their home
On August 19, 2015, at about 2:30 a.m., Chris said he heard a loud bang in the bedroom. He rushed to the bed and found Jan sitting up, saying “Oh my God,” before she collapsed. Chris then called 911, reporting he had seen no intruder but that their back door was open.
Their daughter, Bailey, who slept in the basement, later told officers she heard two sharp cracks just before her father’s call. Responders found Jan with two shotgun wounds and two spent shells on the floor, but no stolen items or a clear trail of a visitor.
Why investigators thought the break-in might have been staged
Detectives noted that rain had fallen the night before, yet there were no footprints on the porch or in the yard. A broken basement window and open back door gave the appearance of a burglary, but nothing inside the house was missing.
A police dog failed to pick up any scent of an outsider, which raised doubts about an intruder. Medical evidence also suggested Jan was sitting up when she was shot, conflicting with Chris’s initial description of finding her lying down. These points led officers to consider that someone familiar with the house arranged the scene.
What motive did prosecutors suggest at trial?
During the investigation, prosecutors focused on the family’s plan to purchase Spider Lake Resort. The Kruses had made an offer on the property days before Jan’s death, but lacked funding. Jan carried a $150,000 life insurance policy, and Chris later submitted a renewed offer matching that amount.
Prosecutors argued that the insurance payout would have provided enough money to buy the resort. The defense countered that Jan’s support was essential to their joint business plan and pointed out Chris’s grief and shock after the shooting.
How the trial unfolded and what the jury decided
In March 2019, a grand jury charged Chris Kruse with first and second-degree murder. His trial began in January 2020 and lasted eight days, with 41 testifying witnesses. The prosecution emphasized the lack of proof of a real break-in and the mismatched details in Chris’s account.
The defense highlighted the absence of direct evidence and Chris’ long history as a caring husband and father. After about 12 hours of deliberation, the jury found Chris not guilty on all counts, and his record was later expunged.
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Why Jan’s death remains a mystery today
As of May 22, 2025, no other suspects have been charged in Jan Kruse’s death. The Nobles County Attorney’s Office reports no active leads, and Chris Kruse has kept a low profile in Brewster since his acquittal.
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The Dateline episode Far From Spider Lake, which aired in July 2024, renewed public interest but revealed no new evidence. Without fresh leads or eyewitness accounts, the question of who killed Jan Pigman-Kruse continues to haunt her family and community.
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