Minnesota – In a shocking case of domestic violence in Minnesota, a 31-year-old father, identified as Bryan D., has been sentenced to decades in prison for killing his 29-year-old wife, identified as Kayla D., while their children were in the home after discovering messages that revealed she was having an affair. The call he made to authorities, during which he admitted, “I just finished,” after fatally shooting the woman, now stands as one of the most haunting details of the crime.
Last week, Bryan was sentenced to just over 30 years in state prison for the 2023 murder of his Kayla. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder involving a firearm, along with two counts of felony child endangerment. Under Minnesota law, Bryan will likely serve two-thirds of his sentence — about 19 years — behind bars before spending the remainder on supervised release. He received credit for 579 days already served in custody. The plea deal allowed prosecutors to avoid a lengthy trial while ensuring a sentence that will keep him imprisoned for decades.
The tragedy unfolded on the morning of December 28, 2023. At around 10:15 a.m., the sheriff’s office received an emergency call from Bryan himself. The dispatcher was stunned when he calmly stated, “I would like to report a murder.” Moments later, he added, “I just finished.” According to the probable cause affidavit, Bryan told dispatchers he had shot his wife in the head several times with a handgun during a heated argument. He instructed authorities to remove his two children, then ages 8 and 11, through a bedroom window so they would not see their mother’s body. First responders arrived within minutes. They encountered Bryan leaving the home and took him into custody. Inside, they discovered Kayla lying unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators say the killing stemmed from marital strife that had been simmering for months. Bryan told detectives he and his wife argued the previous night over finances and her alleged affair. The following morning, while lying in bed together, Kayla’s phone buzzed. Bryan saw messages from another man, who was reportedly her lover. Enraged, he confronted his wife, accusing her of “not working on their relationship and cheating on him.”
Later that morning, he left for work, telling his children that he and their mother were divorcing because she was having an affair. At work, his supervisor noted he appeared visibly distraught and allowed him to leave early. Back at home, the children told police they were playing video games when they heard their parents in a heated argument, followed by a series of gunshots. They recalled their mother screaming and collapsing before their father told them to close their bedroom door. The firearm used — a .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun — was registered to Kayla.
Following his arrest, Bryan admitted to detectives that he was enraged after seeing the text messages. At one point, he told police he could not remember everything after ignoring his wife’s phone calls on the way to work, describing himself as “pissed” and overwhelmed. In court, his attorney described the killing as an “unfortunate incident,” but prosecutors and the victim’s family emphasized the devastation left in its wake. For the couple’s children, spared from physical harm but forced to live with the memory of their mother’s final moments, the damage is irreparable. For the community, the case stands as a painful reminder of how quickly domestic disputes can erupt into irreversible tragedy.
