St. James Man Convicted of Killing Wife, Stepdaughter

ST. JAMES, Minn. (AP) _ A southern Minnesota man has been convicted in the fatal shootings of his wife and his adult stepdaughter following an argument over a forgotten wedding anniversary.

A jury in Brown County Circuit Court didn't buy Scott Engelbrecht's argument that he accidentally shot his stepdaughter after he thought she shot his wife. Jurors deliberating about four hours and returned guilty verdicts Thursday night on charges of first-degree and second-degree murder, as well as assault for pointing a gun at his stepgrandson.

Sixty-seven-year-old Joyce Engelbrecht and 43-year-old Rachel Linder were killed on June 16, 2018. Prosecutors say the shootings at the family's home in St. James happened after the Engelbrechts argued over a missed anniversary.

The 60-year-old Engelbrecht is facing a mandatory sentence of life in prison.