A Sherburne County judge has found 26-year-old Eric Leif Jordahl guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and two counts of second-degree murder in the 2020 killing of his mother, Rosalie Johnson, at their Big Lake home. Jordahl opted for a judge-only trial, waiving his right to have a jury decide his fate.
Judge's Findings and Evidence
In a stark written ruling, the judge concluded that Jordahl beat and stabbed Johnson, then "began to cut up and cannibalize" her while she was still alive. The decision cites the Midwest Medical Examiner's determination that Johnson suffered extensive blunt-force and sharp-force injuries to her head, neck and torso, according to WJON.
The 2020 Attack, in Public Records
The attack took place in July 2020 at the family's home on the 1800 block of Golf Street. Deputies reported finding Jordahl covered in blood, with a butcher knife and what appeared to be human tissue laid out on a kitchen table. Johnson, 62, was later identified as a Big Lake city council member, and early reports said her body showed obvious facial trauma, according to WCCO.
Pretrial History and Mental-Health Review
The case spent years in limbo while courts ordered multiple competency evaluations and treatment for Jordahl. A judge ruled in May 2024 that he was competent to stand trial. In August 2024, the defense notified the court that it would pursue a mental-illness or cognitive-impairment defense, and the judge set up a bifurcated process so the guilt phase would be decided before the sanity phase, per St. Cloud Live.
What's Next
Following the guilty verdict, the judge scheduled a one-day proceeding to hear Jordahl's mental-illness defense "on Monday." With the WJON report dated April 8, 2026, that Monday corresponds to April 13, 2026. Charging documents and prior coverage note that the homicide counts carry lengthy prison terms, with each murder count carrying a potential sentence of up to 40 years, according to WCCO.
Local Reaction
Johnson served on the Big Lake City Council and several local committees, and residents have said the killing rattled the small community. Local reporting captured council members remembering her as a committed public servant, and one colleague described Johnson as "a great person who cared about the community," as reported by Bring Me The News.
The guilty finding ends the first phase of a case that has dragged on for years. Whether Jordahl ultimately goes to prison or is ordered into treatment will depend on the outcome of next week's sanity-phase hearing. Court schedules and any future filings will determine how quickly the case moves toward a final resolution.
