Heather Horst

Case record: Heather Horst

Background

Heather Horst was a member of the Minnesota Air National Guard and served in Saudi Arabia. Her husband, Brandon Horst, was also a member of the Minnesota Air National Guard.

Heather Horst told friends: "I want him dead," and she later expressed that need through her friend Aaron William Allen.

Heather Horst’s family relationships included her husband’s mother, Brenda Horst. Brenda Horst pressed his military dogtags to her chest after the hearing.

Brandon Horst had been single parent to the first seven years of his life; he and his mother were described as very close. When she married Mark Horst, he adopted Brandon.

Heather Horst’s marriage history included that, prosecutors said, the marriage was falling apart in the summer of 2013. The prosecution also described financial strain and allegations of infidelity.

Brandon Horst was described as a 25-year-old Minnesota Air National Guard member. He was shot and killed shortly after midnight Aug. 5 at the Horst home in the 400 block of Bellows Street in St. Paul.

People

• Heather Leann Horst (25): defendant; accused of aiding and abetting murder and conspiracy to commit murder
• Brandon Horst (25): victim; Heather Horst’s husband
• Aaron William Allen (26): friend of Heather Horst; confessed shooter; pleaded guilty
• Deborah Ellis: defense attorney for Heather Horst
• Karen Kugler: prosecutor
• Jada Lewis: assistant Ramsey County attorney
• Salvador Rosas: judge
• Brenda Horst: victim’s mother
• Angela Penoncello: friend of Heather Horst; also Brandon Horst’s stepsister
• Marcus Strombaugh: witness who testified about Heather Horst and Strombaugh
• Steven Koderick: witness; described as a would-be conspirator
• Zubrina Phillips: witness; Steven Koderick’s girlfriend
• Sean Keppers: would-be conspirator
• Lt. Col. John Echert: senior chaplain with the Air National Guard
• Jake Peterson: St. Paul police sergeant
• Mark Horst: married Brenda Horst and adopted Brandon (as described)

The offence

Heather Horst was convicted for aiding and abetting first-degree murder in the Aug. 5 shooting death of her husband, Brandon Horst.

At trial, the jury’s verdicts included:

• conviction of aiding and abetting first-degree murder
• verdicts that also included second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit the crimes

Prosecutors described the plot as the "cold-blooded execution" shortly after midnight at the request and direction of Heather Horst.

Aaron William Allen testified that Heather Horst instructed him: "Put at least two or three rounds into him," and that Allen put one bullet into Brandon Horst’s head as he lay sleeping.

Allen also testified about Heather Horst’s instructions and comments:

• "We'd get away with it. Don't worry. Just make it quick and clean, and we'll be free."
• "Think about what happened to the baby. Think about the abuse."
• "How many rounds did you put into him?"
• "Everybody dies at some point, and what about what he did to the baby?"
• "We'd get away with it. Don't worry. Just make it quick and clean, and we'll be free." (as described again through Allen’s testimony)

In opening statements, Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Jada Lewis told jurors: "I want him dead," and described Heather Horst as trying to turn Allen into a hit man, saying: "I want him dead," according to Lewis.

During opening statements, Lewis said: "His life was cut short by his wife's greed and selfishness," and described Heather Horst as offering money and using abuse allegations to manipulate Allen.

Defense attorney Deborah Ellis argued that Allen acted alone and that "He acted on his own," stating: "Not at her request. Not with her encouragement."

Ellis also described Allen’s role, saying: "He is clever," and that he manipulated people and that "He alone committed the murder. He is a cold-blooded murderer."

Ellis’s closing argument included: "That was his time to kill." Ellis also said: "[Allen] and his friends had a fantasy that they talked about over and over again. Aaron Allen carried out that fantasy." Ellis stated: "It begins and ends with Aaron Allen." Ellis also said: "The case "begins and ends with Aaron Allen." Ellis argued about the back door: the back door was broken, and that Allen did not need Heather Horst's help to get into the house.

Investigation and evidence

The investigation included surveillance footage and recovered text messages.

Heather Horst told St. Paul police Sgt. Jake Peterson that she could not have been at the house when Brandon was murdered because she was captured on the store’s surveillance video.

The jury saw the video, which showed Heather Horst and Angela Penoncello "meandering" through the store, leaving, then returning over a period of 20 minutes. Their pace picked up sharply when Heather Horst got a text message from Allen. The text came in at 12:35 a.m. The two women were seen pulling out of the Walgreens parking lot at 12:37.

Allen testified he waited in the basement until Brandon fell asleep. Allen told that he sent Heather Horst several emails during the two hours he spent there, and that he remarked worriedly that the dog was barking.

Lewis stated that Heather Horst arranged for Allen to hide in the basement and armed him with her pistol, telling him to wait until her husband was asleep.

During the trial, prosecutors presented testimony that Heather Horst went with her friend Angela Penoncello to Walgreens to cement her alibi.

The complaint described that Heather Horst removed the SIM card from her phone and broke it into little pieces so police wouldn’t recover the texts.

The complaint also described a handgun and that investigators connected the handgun, which belonged to Heather Horst, to the shooting.

Arrest

Heather Horst was arrested Friday, Aug. 9. She refused to answer questions from police.

Aaron Allen also was arrested.

Allen told police that Heather Horst was like a sister to him and that he didn't know why his cellphone was used in the area of Horst's home on the night of the shooting. Allen refused to answer questions from police.

Trial

Heather Horst’s trial was held in Ramsey County District Court in St. Paul.

Opening statements presented contrasting accounts:

• Prosecutors argued that Heather Horst tricked Allen into carrying out the "execution."
• Defense attorney Deborah Ellis argued Allen acted alone based on a longstanding murder fantasy.

The prosecution described:

• Heather Horst’s marriage issues and allegations used to influence Allen
• that Brandon Horst knew about an affair between Heather Horst and Marcus Strombaugh
• that Horst offered Allen a share of a $1 million life insurance policy

The defense argued:

• "He acted on his own"
• Allen’s credibility issues
• Allen and his friends discussed ways to commit murder, including shooting and other methods
• "That was his time to kill"

Throughout questioning by police, during a ride in the back of a squad car with Penoncello, and throughout the trial, Kugler stated Heather Horst showed no emotion.

Defense attorney Deborah Ellis said Heather Horst was in shock after her husband was murdered. Ellis said she did cry during questioning, but the interview was not played for the jury.

Defense attorney Ellis said Penoncello was the truly unemotional one, considering Brandon Horst was her stepbrother.

Sentencing

Heather Horst was sentenced right after the verdict to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the mandatory sentence, on May 27, 2014.

Judge Salvador Rosas ordered her into custody immediately.

The prosecutor said justice was done Tuesday, saying: "We are absolutely elated that the jury came back with a swift and just verdict on behalf of Brandon Horst," she said.

Other proceedings involving Aaron Allen

Aaron Allen confessed to being the shooter and pleaded guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence.

Allen pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder. Both sides agreed Allen would be sentenced to the maximum allowed under state law: 40 years in prison. Allen’s sentencing was scheduled for June 10.

At his plea hearing, Allen testified that he and his friends had regularly discussed murder plots.

Under cross-examination, it was stated that Allen has five separate personalities. Defense attorney Deborah Ellis questioned whether Allen had ever been diagnosed by a health care professional.

Allen was arrested Aug. 10, five days after the killing.

Outcome

Heather Horst was convicted of aiding and abetting first-degree murder in the Aug. The jury verdicts also included second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit the crimes.

She received a mandatory life sentence without parole.

Aftermath

Brenda Horst pressed his military dogtags to her chest as she spoke after the hearing. She said: "You don't want to think that someone in your family is capable of such things," and "And if there were signs, we missed them."

Lt. Col. John Echert said: "We lost a highly respected member and a friend to many," and described that Horst's death affected the members of his unit more than the death of any other member had.

Heather Horst’s grandparents left with her attorney after the hearing and declined comment.

Timeline

• Aug. 4 — Heather Horst told friends she "had miscarried"; Allen became enraged after being told Brandon punched her in the stomach, causing her to miscarry; prosecutors described the planning of the murder
• Aug. 5 (shortly after midnight) — Brandon Horst was shot and killed at the Horst home in the 400 block of Bellows Street in St. Paul
• Aug. 9 — Heather Horst was arrested and refused to answer questions from police
• Aug. 10 — Aaron Allen was arrested
• March 5 (year not specified in source) — Aaron Allen pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder
• May 27, 2014 — Heather Horst was sentenced to life in prison without parole after conviction
• June 10 — Sentencing scheduled for Aaron Allen (maximum allowed under state law: 40 years in prison)