Northern Minnesota Man Charged With Murdering Sauk Rapids Woman

FOLEY (WJON News) -- A northern Minnesota man is charged with murdering a Sauk Rapids woman in August.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Benton County District Court, 45-year-old Christopher Neal of Aurora is charged with two counts of 2nd-degree murder, one count of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and one count of theft of a motor vehicle.

Police were called to an apartment on 10th Avenue NE in Sauk Rapids on a report of a dead woman. Officers discovered 38-year-old Victoria Gamble dead and her car keys missing.

According to the charges Gamble and Neal were seen leaving a Sauk Rapids bar together at around 1:00 a.m. Monday, August 12th. The two are seen on Gamble's apartment surveillance entering the building shortly after leaving the bar. Records allege Neal is seen leaving the apartment alone at around 3:00 a.m.

Gamble's body was found hours later.

An autopsy by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death was strangulation and the manner of death was homicide.

When police released Gamble's body to the medical examiner, they noted her car was missing from the parking lot.

Records indicate Neal was found in a Louisiana hotel with Gamble's car nearby.

According to the charges, Neal admitted to taking a car and being in a woman's Sauk Rapids apartment. However, he told investigators he had a limited memory of what happened inside the apartment and allegedly said he did not believe he killed her but admitted taking her keys.

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Neal is being held in the Aitkin County Jail on a warrant for felony domestic violence and violating a domestic abuse no-contact order in a separate case.

A warrant has been issued for Neal to appear in Benton County on the murder charges.