Rochester Man Sentenced For Murder Of Melissa Hunt

Wabasha, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Rochester man convicted in a southeast Minnesota murder case has been given a more than 30-year prison sentence.

45-year-old Craig Alan Hameister agreed to a plea deal in Wabasha County Court earlier this year.

He was arrested following the murder of 34-year-old Melissa Nicole Hunt last June.

The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office captured him after a standoff at a property near Chester Woods Park, which is east of Rochester.

Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents until Hameister was taken into custody.

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Craig Hameister Sentenced for Murder of 34-year-old Melissa Nicole Hunt

The criminal complaint indicates Hunt died from a gunshot wound to the face. She spent her final moments identifying Hameister as her killer.

The court document says the murder happened at a boat landing near Kellogg.

Deputies went to Hameister’s residence in Chatfield and learned he left on a motorcycle. They later found a 9mm handgun at the scene of Hameister’s arrest.

Hameister Sentenced on Monday

In March, Hameister agreed to enter a guilty plea to one count of second-degree murder in exchange for the dismissal of the other murder charge.

He was sentenced to 415 months in prison on Monday.

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