The victim, identified by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office as William Harold Hess Jr., 52, of Hill City, was found deceased from a gunshot wound on May 12, 2022, inside of a homemade camper.
HILL CITY — A Hill City man was charged with second-degree murder for the shooting death of his brother.
James Robert Hess
Investigators arrested James Robert Hess, 48, Tuesday, May 24, at his home. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Aitkin County Jail, the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office reported.
The victim, identified by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office as William Harold Hess Jr., 52, of Hill City was found deceased from a gunshot wound on May 12, 2022, inside a homemade camper just west of 380th Avenue in Hill Lake Township in Aitkin County.
The homicide investigation was conducted by the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension with significant assistance from the Aitkin, Itasca, and Mille Lacs Violent Crime Enforcement Team.
James Robert Hess appeared in Aitkin County District Court May 25 before Judge David Hermerding. His release conditions were set at $1,000,000 bail or bond with no conditions, or $500,000 non-cash bond with conditions, or $500,000 cash bail with conditions.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hess remains in the Aitkin County Jail with additional charges pending, the sheriff’s office reported.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
Hi, I'm the Brainerd Dispatch. I started working a few days before Christmas in 1881 and became a daily paper two years later. I've gone through a lot of changes over the years, but what has never changed is my commitment to community and to local journalism. I've got an entire team of dedicated people who work night and day to make sure I go out every morning, whether in print, as an e-edition, via an app or with additional information at www.brainerddispatch.com. News, weather, sports — videos, photos, podcasts and social media — all covering stories from central Minnesota about your neighbors, your lakes, your communities, your challenges and your opportunities. It's all part of the effort to keep people connected and informed. And we couldn't do it without support.