A 22-year-old woman found fatally stabbed in St. Cloud on Saturday night was the daughter of a candidate for Minnesota governor.
Police said they believe that Hallie Marie Tobler’s husband, a 23-year-old man from St. Cloud, was responsible for her death. Charges are pending.
Hallie Tobler was the daughter of Republican candidate for governor Jeff Johnson, a former St. Cloud City Council member. The Republican Party of Minnesota issued a statement Monday saying it is “heartbroken by the tragic loss.”
“There are no words that can adequately express the sorrow we feel for Jeff and his family. The loss of a child is unimaginable, and our thoughts and prayers are with them as they grieve this devastating tragedy,” the party statement said. “Out of respect for his family and the enormity of this loss, Jeff has suspended his campaign for governor of Minnesota. We ask all Minnesotans to join us in lifting up the Johnson family during this incredibly painful time.”
According to St. Cloud police:
Officers responded to reports of a medical emergency at an apartment on 40th Avenue South at about 8:20 p.m. on Saturday.
They found Hallie Tobler dead from multiple stab wounds, and her husband with life-threatening injuries. Both were inside the locked apartment.
“Based on the investigation, it is believed that (the husband’s) injuries are self-inflicted and that he is the person responsible for Hallie’s injuries and death,” police said in a news release.
As of Sunday night, he was reported in stable condition at St. Cloud Hospital, where he was in custody of St. Cloud police officers. MPR News is not naming him until charges are filed.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is assisting local authorities with the investigation.
Johnson — who is not the Jeff Johnson who is a former Hennepin County commissioner and two-time Republican nominee for governor — was in a crowded field of candidates seeking the party’s nomination this year. He finished far back in the pack in a straw poll at last week’s precinct caucuses.
Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who is a Republican candidate for governor, issued a statement saying that “the Johnson family is walking through an unspeakable tragedy right now, and my prayers are with them every step of the way. As a parent, I can’t imagine the grief and devastation they’re experiencing right now. Please join me in keeping the Johnsons in our thoughts and prayers as they navigate a situation that no family should have to endure.”
Another Republican candidate for governor, Peggy Bennett, issued a statement Monday saying that she “cannot even imagine the heartbreak and sorrow that Jeff and his family are experiencing right now. My heart breaks for them. I am holding Jeff and his family up in prayer during this incredibly difficult and heartbreaking time.”
A 24-hour statewide domestic violence and sexual violence hotline is available in Minnesota. You can call Minnesota Day One at 866-223-1111 or text 612-399-9995 to connect to resources closest to where you live.
