Burnsville Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering Mother of His Children
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Published: September 28, 2026
BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA – A Burnsville man has been sentenced to life in prison more than a year after fatally stabbing the mother of his children inside their home.
Jason Philip Filas, 49, was sentenced Monday, September 28, 2026, in Dakota County District Court for the May 2025 murder of 32-year-old Danielle Grace Warren. Dakota County District Court Judge David Lutz imposed the sentence after Filas pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of first-degree murder while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of domestic abuse.
Court records show Filas was convicted on September 18th, 2026, after entering his guilty plea. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining counts against him, including first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree intentional murder. The sentencing order filed Monday confirms both remaining counts have now been dismissed. Filas was committed to the custody of the Minnesota Department of Corrections for life in prison. The court's sentencing order lists a 99-year commitment and identifies the sentence as life imprisonment. Filas received credit for 510 days already served and was also ordered to provide a DNA sample.
Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena announced the sentence Monday.
“No sentence can fully heal the loss and pain endured by Danielle’s family, friends and loved ones, I hope this outcome will provide some measure of peace,” Keena said in a statement.
Filas remains at the Dakota County Jail while awaiting transfer to the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
Filas Entered Norgaard Guilty Plea
Filas' conviction followed a guilty plea entered on September 18th to first-degree murder under Minnesota Statute 609.185(a)(6), which covers first-degree murder committed while engaging in domestic abuse when the offender has exhibited a past pattern of domestic abuse. The written plea petition shows Filas agreed to plead guilty to that count in exchange for a presumptive life sentence with the possibility of parole. Under the agreement, prosecutors would dismiss the other counts in the indictment. Restitution was left to be determined.
Filas entered what is known as a Norgaard plea, which allows a defendant who says they cannot remember the circumstances of an offense to plead guilty after acknowledging the state's evidence would likely be sufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
In the Norgaard addendum signed by Filas, he acknowledged reviewing the evidence prosecutors would have presented at trial but stated he did not recall the circumstances of the killing. He nevertheless acknowledged there was a substantial likelihood he would be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and specifically stated he was not claiming innocence.
The plea paperwork also states Filas was not claiming he acted in self-defense or in defense of another person.
Warren Fatally Stabbed Inside Burnsville Home
The case dates back to the morning of May 7, 2025, when Burnsville police were dispatched to the couple's home around 9:35 a.m. for a reported domestic disturbance. According to the criminal complaint previously detailed by Limitless Media, officers arriving at the residence noticed blood on the front door handle. An officer went to the back of the home and looked through a window, where someone appeared to be unresponsive and a large amount of blood could be seen.
Officers forced their way into the home and found Warren sitting upright against a couch with multiple stab wounds to her face, neck, and chest. A bloody 12-inch kitchen knife was found in a hallway between the kitchen and living room. Warren was pronounced dead at the scene.
The couple's two young children were also inside the residence and were found unharmed.
A preliminary examination by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office identified at least nine stab wounds to Warren's head, neck, and upper torso. Her death was determined to be consistent with homicidal violence.
Warren Called Her Sister Before Killing
According to the original criminal complaint, Warren contacted her sister earlier that morning after Filas became upset when he reportedly saw a man leaving the residence on a home security camera. Warren told her sister she was afraid of Filas and wanted her keys so she could leave for her sister's home.
During a second phone call, Warren allegedly pretended she was talking with police because Filas was inside the house. The complaint states Warren then began screaming that Filas had a knife and told her sister to call 911 before the call disconnected. Her sister immediately contacted 911 and then called Warren's phone again. According to the complaint, Filas answered and allegedly told Warren's sister that Warren "should have never cheated on me" and told her to call 911 before the phone was turned off.
Police subsequently issued an alert to surrounding law enforcement agencies because Filas was no longer at the residence.
Filas Arrested Following Traffic Stop
A Lakeville police officer later spotted a vehicle registered to Filas traveling at a high rate of speed. The officer stopped the vehicle and ordered Filas to get out and onto the ground. According to the complaint, Filas eventually stood and walked aggressively toward the officer despite commands before fleeing on foot.
Officers ultimately deployed a Taser and took him into custody.
Filas was initially charged on May 9, 2025, with one count of second-degree intentional murder.
The case escalated several months later when a Dakota County grand jury returned an indictment in October 2025 charging Filas with first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree murder while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of domestic abuse, and second-degree intentional murder.
Previous Domestic Violence Cases
Court records cited in the original case showed Filas had prior domestic violence-related allegations involving Warren before her death. Filas had been charged with domestic assault in March 2025. He had also pleaded guilty to violating a domestic abuse no-contact order stemming from an April 2025 incident. That history ultimately became significant in the first-degree murder count to which Filas pleaded guilty.
The plea petition shows Filas acknowledged that the maximum penalty for the offense was life imprisonment and agreed to plead guilty to first-degree murder.
With Monday's sentencing, the case ends with Filas convicted of first-degree murder while committing domestic abuse, with a past pattern of domestic abuse. The premeditated first-degree murder and second-degree intentional murder counts were dismissed as contemplated by the plea agreement.
Domestic Violence Resources: Anyone experiencing domestic violence can contact the Minnesota Day One Crisis Hotline at 1-866-223-1111. Locally, 360 Communities' 24-hour crisis line can be reached at 651-452-7288.
Provided by Dakota County Jail.
Written by: Will Wight
