The Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has released the names of two individuals who died in a tragic incident on June 10 in rural Albert Lea. Nathaniel Dewitt Bailey, a 44-year-old man from Albert Lea, was killed by gunshot wounds, according to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office. Brenda Kay Krause, a 66-year-old woman also from Albert Lea, was found dead at a residence, and her death was ruled a homicide, caused by gunshot wounds. The information comes from a recent update provided by the BCA.
The incident also involved the use of force by several law enforcement officers who responded to the scene. These officers, now on critical incident leave, include Mower County Sgt. Katlynne Fisher, Steele County Deputy Sean Robbins, Freeborn County Deputy Darik Weigel, and Albert Lea Police Detective Sy Vanthavong, along with an unnamed Faribault County Sheriff’s Office Deputy whose name has been withheld due to their undercover status. According to a statement by the BCA, their collective experience in law enforcement ranges from eight to 24 years.
On the evening of June 10, officers were dispatched to a home on the 21000 block of 880th Avenue following reports that a man had admitted to killing his mother in a text message sent to a woman. The man, later identified as Nathaniel Bailey, had left the scene in a vehicle, which law enforcement located near Austin, leading them back to the initial residence. Bailey, reportedly armed with a handgun, was shot by the officers on his return to the residence and was pronounced dead after medical aid was administered at the scene.
Officers searching for the property subsequently found the body of Krause. Body-worn cameras recorded portions of the incident, providing evidence alongside the handgun and spent cartridge casings recovered by the BCA crime scene team. The BCA is continuing to investigate the case and will forward its findings to the Freeborn County Attorney’s Office for review. As of now, the BCA has not released further details on the incident.
