A Minnesota gubernatorial hopeful halted his campaign after his 22-year-old daughter was found stabbed to death inside her St. Cloud apartment.
Hallie Marie Tobler died from multiple stab wounds Saturday night, and officers discovered her body around 8:20 p.m., according to St. Cloud police.
Her husband, Dylan Tobler, 23, survived with what investigators believe are self-inflicted injuries, and police consider him responsible for Hallie’s death.
Officers located both inside a locked apartment, a detail authorities cited as central to the case.
Dylan Tobler was transported to St. Cloud Hospital and remained in stable condition Sunday night while under police guard.
Prosecutors have not yet filed formal charges, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is assisting local detectives.
The Republican Party of Minnesota announced soon after that candidate Jeff Johnson suspended his run for governor.
Party officials addressed the tragedy in a written statement that described members as “heartbroken” by the loss.
“There are no words that can adequately express the sorrow we feel for Jeff and his family,” party leaders stated.
“The loss of a child is unimaginable and our thoughts and prayers are with them as they grieve this devastating tragedy.”
The statement confirmed the campaign pause, noting, “Out of respect for his family and the enormity of this loss, Jeff has suspended his campaign for governor of Minnesota.”
Party leaders also urged public support, adding, “We ask all Minnesotans to join us in lifting up the Johnson family during this incredibly painful time.”
Johnson, a former St. Cloud City Council member, had built his platform around fraud, crime, and economic issues as he sought to succeed Governor Tim Walz.
Investigators have not released details about a possible motive in the apartment killing.
Authorities have not disclosed whether there had been prior domestic incidents between Hallie and her husband.
The focus now remains on the pending case against Dylan Tobler as law enforcement reviews evidence collected from the scene.
The Minnesota tragedy follows another domestic violence case in Maryland that ended in fatal bloodshed within hours of a suspect’s release from custody.
Howard County police say 53-year-old Alexander Stephenson stabbed his estranged wife, Amethyst Stephenson, 47, inside her home Sunday morning.
Officers responded shortly after 8 a.m. to reports that Alexander had attacked his wife and fled.
When they arrived at the residence outside Baltimore, Amethyst was already dead.
Police determined she had suffered multiple stab wounds. Authorities said Alexander did not live at the home and was estranged from his wife at the time.
Hours after the killing, Alexander turned himself in to law enforcement. Officers reported that he had non-life-threatening self-inflicted injuries and transported him to Shock Trauma in Baltimore.
Police plan to charge him with first-degree murder and violating a protective order once he is released from the hospital.
Court records show Amethyst filed for a protective order last month. In her petition, she wrote that her husband “made veiled and direct threats of violence against the children. He has threatened to kill us. He punches walls, destroys property…”
A temporary protective order was granted, and a final order was issued last Monday. The order was set to remain in place through Feb. 2, 2027.
Alexander had been arrested the night before the killing in Carroll County on charges that included second-degree assault and violating that same protective order.
Deputies and state troopers responded to a High’s gas station in Sykesville around 8 p.m. Saturday after receiving 911 calls about a fight inside a vehicle.
Troopers alleged that Alexander smelled of alcohol and admitted he had consumed drinks.
His 17-year-old son told police he had been driving when he realized his father was intoxicated.
The son tried to call his stepmother for help, but charging documents state Alexander grabbed the phone and threw it from the moving SUV.
Police allege the teen pulled into the parking lot to stop his father from taking the keys, and a struggle followed.
The couple’s 14-year-old daughter told troopers that her father scratched her eye during the incident.
Amethyst arrived at the gas station to pick up the children and reported that her husband had called her twice despite the protective order.
A district court commissioner released Alexander on personal recognizance at 4:18 a.m. Sunday. The commissioner warned him during the hearing.
“Lawfully, you did not do what was right, and you knew that, and you knew the laws and rules,” Commissioner Kotoshia Ade-Oni told him. “But I do not believe that you’re a danger.”
Less than four hours after that release, police say Amethyst Stephenson was dead.
Howard County Police spokesperson Seth Hoffman described the outcome as devastating, noting, “When something like this happens, when somebody has done the right things to protect themselves and [the victim still gets hurt]…it’s really a tragic situation.”
