On September 29, 2003, 56-year-old Shelley Joseph-Kordell went to the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis for a hearing about a restraining order tied to a bitter dispute over her father’s estate. Joseph-Kordell, a geriatric care manager described as warm and family-centered, was accompanied by her attorney, Richard Hendrickson. While waiting on the 17th floor she entered a women’s restroom and was confronted by her cousin, 52-year-old Susan Berkovitz, who was carrying a loaded .38-caliber revolver.

Berkovitz fired multiple shots in the restroom, fatally wounding Joseph-Kordell; Joseph-Kordell was taken to hospital and died about two hours later. Hendrickson was shot and wounded in the lobby. Officers arrested Berkovitz at the scene; she reportedly accused Joseph-Kordell and her attorney of extorting money from the estate. Berkovitz was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, and a jury later found her guilty on both counts. The shooting prompted the installation of metal detectors at the Hennepin County Government Center in 2005.

Does anyone have additional information about Joseph-Kordell’s life or the estate dispute that led to this courtroom confrontation?