MORRISTOWN, MN – A man from Minnesota, influenced by drugs, believed he was under a bizarre ultimatum that either he or his roommate had to die by midnight. Acting on this disturbing thought, Cody Kolstad, then 34, retrieved a loaded shotgun from an unlocked cabinet and fatally shot his sleeping roommate, 41-year-old Brian Daniel Stoeckel, in the neck.
Kolstad, now 35, accepted a plea deal and admitted to second-degree murder on Friday for the 2022 incident that took Stoeckel’s life. The tragedy occurred in the small town of Morristown, located roughly 60 miles south of Minneapolis.
Around 12:40 a.m. on May 31, 2022, Kolstad dialed 911, telling dispatchers to “just come look” and requesting they “bring the coroner.”
When law enforcement from the Rice County Sheriff’s Office arrived, they discovered Kolstad lying facedown in the grass outside. He confessed to a deputy, “I shot him in the head, dude,” acknowledging the gravity of his actions and resigning to the fact that he was headed for jail.
Inside the home, deputies found the grim scene confirming that Stoeckel had died from the gunshot wound. During a post-Miranda conversation, Kolstad expressed deep remorse, stating he deserved the same fate he inflicted due to his actions and revealing he had consumed a mix of drugs.
He explained that he believed “another person” had told him that a deadly decision had to be made by midnight. This propelled him to fire two shots—one striking Stoeckel, the other embedding in the wall.
Initially charged with first-degree murder, Kolstad’s plea agreement to second-degree murder implies a forthcoming sentence of 25 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for May 2.
Stoeckel’s death left his family and friends in deep sorrow, a loss characterized as leaving a “huge hole” among those who cherished his lively storytelling and unique humor. His obituary highlighted his capability to amuse and astonish people, ensuring that no encounter with him was ever dull.