Charge: Brother, 21, ran from bullet-riddled home in Chanhassen, surrendered after fatally shooting older sister

A 21-year-old man fled his family's bullet-riddled home in Chanhassen but soon surrendered after fatally shooting his older sister in her bedroom, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday.

Joseph T. Ness was charged in Carver County District Court with second-degree intentional murder in connection with the killing of Noelle Ness, 25, on Saturday at the home in the 3700 block of Landings Drive, where several rifles and ammunition were found by authorities.

Ness appeared in court Tuesday and remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail. He's due back in court on May 21. Court records do not list an attorney for him.

The complaint did not offer a motive for the gunfire inside the house just off Lake Minnewashta.

"The investigation is ongoing and trying to determine the motive is part of the investigation," Sheriff Jason Kamerud said. "At this point, I'm not in a position to provide any details about it."

A neighbor called 911 about 2:20 p.m. and told authorities that the adult children's mother ran over and said, "Joey shot and killed Noelle," the complaint said.

About 45 minutes later, a resident about a half-mile from the Ness home said a man later identified as Joseph Ness had walked onto her property and said, "Please help me. I need your help. I need you to call the police for me. I just killed my sister. I want to surrender peacefully. I am unarmed," the charging document said.

The resident called 911 and deputies arrested Ness.

Deputies entered the Ness home and saw hundreds of spent casings, bullets in walls and many windows shot out. Ness shot from his bedroom into his sister's room across the hall, according to the complaint.

The complaint also noted that "it appears Noelle may have been shot at a closer range as rounds traveled vertically through her bed."

A search of the home by authorities turned up six rifles, ammunition and high-capacity drum magazines. Among the rifles were "AR-15 and AK-47 variants," the court filing said.

Kamerud said the Sheriff's Office has had about 30 calls for service involving the entire family of five over the past 20 years.

They were "all low-level issues that we find with other longtime residents," the sheriff said, "subjects of traffic stops, false alarms, family reporting incidents in the neighborhood, witnesses in lake-use complaints, et cetera. None of our calls involved the son."

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482