Jennifer Stately sentenced to life in prison for killing two sons in Red Lake Nation

RED LAKE — Jennifer Marie Stately, 37, was sentenced to life in federal prison on November 6, 2026, for killing two of her young sons and setting their home on fire in the Red Lake Nation. U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim imposed the sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.

A federal jury found Stately guilty on February 25, 2026, of five counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson following a two-and-a-half-week trial. The convictions stemmed from the deaths of two children on March 15, 2024. WCCO reported that the boys were 5 and 6 years old.

Prosecutors said Stately attacked the children with a knife while alone with them at their home. Investigators determined that three fires had been set, including at both exits. The older child died from stab wounds, and the younger child died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Stately left with her surviving 3-year-old son, prompting an AMBER Alert. Authorities located them in Todd County, about 150 miles south of their home. According to court documents cited by WCCO, the surviving child showed signs of malnutrition and severe neglect. WCCO also reported that the defense’s effort to establish insanity was unsuccessful.

The FBI investigated with assistance from Red Lake Tribal Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Todd County Sheriff’s Department and Long Prairie Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett S. Fields prosecuted the case.

Sources: U.S. Attorney’s Office — sentencing announcement; WCCO/CBS Minnesota — sentencing report.