Joshua Robert Downey, 52, of Mankato, Minnesota, was killed on the afternoon of Sunday, April 26, 2026, while at the Mankato townhome of his girlfriend, 37-year-old Rosalyn Marie Rode. According to a criminal complaint, Rode’s ex-boyfriend, 44-year-old Joseph David Bulfer, forced his way into the residence, ran upstairs, opened the bedroom door, and immediately began shooting at Downey with an AR-15 rifle. Police later found about 20 spent shell casings in the room. A provisional autopsy reported multiple gunshot wounds to Downey’s head, face, torso, and arms.

After shooting Downey, Bulfer allegedly assaulted Rode, striking her with the rifle and his hands, forcing her into a bathroom and threatening to kill her while blaming her for Downey’s death. Rode managed to call 911 and hid her phone; dispatchers heard threats and her pleas.

Downey was remembered by family and colleagues as a devoted father to his children Gracie and Jacob and as the Blue Earth County Parks Supervisor who cared deeply for the parks. Did anyone in the Mankato area see or hear anything that afternoon that could help explain how Bulfer gained access to the home or what happened prior to the shooting?