A Blaine man shot his wife in their home hours before she intended to leave him, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday.
Matthew L. Jansen, 46, was charged in Anoka County District Court with second-degree murder in the shooting last week of Mary Jo Jansen, 46. She was shot in the neck and the chest, the complaint said.
Jansen appeared in court Monday and remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail ahead of a March 18 hearing. Court records show no legal counsel for him.
According to the complaint:
Jansen called police late on Friday night and said he fatally shot his wife at the couple's home. He added that the gun was unloaded and in the foyer.
Officers found Mary Jo Jansen on the floor of an upstairs bedroom with gunshot wounds, the complaint said. An unloaded handgun was recovered inside the home.
Matthew Jansen said to officers on the scene that he was surprised that he went through with killing his wife and added, "I guess I don't have to worry about a divorce," the court filing read.
Mary Jo Jansen had served her husband with divorce papers around Thanksgiving of last year. They continued to share their home in the 2700 block of 95th Avenue NE., but she had intended to move out on Saturday.
An incident in December prompted family members to remove firearms from the residence. In Matthew Jansen's truck, parked in the home's garage, police found an empty gun case for the weapon allegedly used to kill Mary Jo Jansen.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
