Kayla M. Demarais, 29, was killed inside her family home in rural Dassel Township, Minnesota, on December 28, 2023. Deputies and first responders arrived after a man called emergency dispatch to report he had shot Kayla while the couple’s children were in the house. Kayla was found on the floor and was pronounced dead at the scene; court filings state she had been shot nine times with a rifle.

Investigators say the children were in a bedroom and heard arguing and the gunfire before seeing Kayla collapse. Prosecutors described a relationship under strain—financial troubles, accusations of infidelity, and a confrontation that began the night before and continued into the next morning. The caller, identified as Bryan W. Demarais, was taken into custody at the scene and later faced charges including second-degree murder and felony child endangerment. He pleaded guilty via a Norgaard plea and received a lengthy prison term of 367 months on the murder count, with child-endangerment terms concurrent and credit for time served.

If anyone knew Kayla or has information about what happened in Dassel Township that morning, please share details with investigators.