Man, 44, sentenced to life in prison for fatal beating of girlfriend in Brooklyn Park home

A 44-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for fatally beating his girlfriend in her Brooklyn Park home.

Timothy Heller's sentence in Hennepin County District Court comes after jurors convicted him on Sept. 9 of first-degree murder in connection with the death in February 2021 of 36-year-old Lacy Jo Krube at a home they shared in the 7500 block of N. Brunswick Avenue.

Heller will be eligible for parole in 30 years.

Heller has been previously convicted of domestic assault, felony assault and for violating various protection orders, according to court records.

According to the criminal complaint:

The homeowners told law enforcement they allowed Heller, who was homeless, to stay there in early February 2021, during a cold snap. He later asked whether his girlfriend could stay, and the owners agreed.

On Feb. 20, 2021, the homeowners told Heller and Krube they needed to leave the next day. That same day, they noticed Krube had bruises and other injuries to her face. She told the owners that Heller caused the injuries, and one of the owners began physically fighting with Heller, who fled the scene.

Krube was driven by the homeowners to a friend's home in the 1500 block of Jackson Street in St. Paul. At the St. Paul home, her friends asked her what happened and urged her to go to the hospital, but she refused. Paramedics were called when she lost consciousness and died.

Star Tribune staff writer Alex Chhith contributed to this report.