A Minnesota man will spend more than two decades in prison for murdering his roommate in an admitted state of drug addiction and stress.
According to a press release from the Rice County Attorney’s Office, Cody Vernon Kolstad, 35, pleaded guilty on March 28 to one count of intentional murder in the second degree in the May 2022 death of Brian Daniel Stoeckel, 41.
On Friday, 3rd Judicial District Court Judge Karie M. Anderson sentenced Kolastad to 25 years in prison. The defendant was credited with nearly three years of pretrial detention.
During an allocution, Kolstad described the tragic events of that night.
“[Brian] started talking about how one of us had to die by midnight, so I shot him,” the defendant said, adding that he was high on drugs when he picked up a shotgun, aimed it at the victim, and pulled the trigger.
When reprimanding the convicted killer, the judge used a light touch, encouraging him to take classes during his time in prison and appealing to Kolstad’s better angels through the rhetorical concept of apostrophe.
“While you are taking responsibility, you can never make this family whole,” Anderson told the audience. “You owe it to Brian to do better so that you will never be the same person who committed murder. The expectation is to make better choices and show Brian that you can do better.
Stoeckel’s family and friends were also in attendance. During an impact statement, the admonition was delivered more harshly.
“They say the brightest stars burn out the quickest,” Stoeckel’s sister said through tears as she addressed the defendant directly. “Cody, you have taken our star. He did not burn out; you extinguished that fire.”
The deceased man’s obituary recalls him fondly:
He leaves a huge hole in the hearts of his family and friends who were always entertained by his stories and interesting sense of humor. He truly brought the life to the party. No matter the circumstance, you’d always leave with a story of something funny or crazy Brian did or said when you were with him.
According to Kolstad’s explanation, law enforcement arrived at the house on 2nd Street Southeast in Morristown, a small town about 60 miles south of Minneapolis, shortly after midnight on May 21, 2022.
According to court filings obtained by Bring Me The News, a journalist-owned news service based in the Twin Cities, the defendant claimed during a meeting with deputies that the man inside was “badly injured.”
“He’s dead,” the defendant informed 911 dispatchers. “Bring the coroner.”
Stoeckel was discovered dead in his bed by law enforcement.
When questioned, the defendant became more vocal.
“Put one in my head and burn me in that building,” Kolstad later told investigators, according to court documents obtained by Saint Paul’s ABC affiliate KSTP. “I took a life.”
Inside the home, police discovered a hole in the wall and injuries consistent with Stoeckel being shot in the neck.
“Today, an extraordinarily tragic and difficult case has reached its conclusion,” Rice County Attorney Brian Mortenson said in a statement. “While no plea agreement can ever undo the profound loss, today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for his actions and, we hope, offers some measure of closure to the victim’s family, friends, and the community deeply affected by this crime.”