Man Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Murder of South St. Paul Roommate
Provided by the Dakota County Jail.
SOUTH ST PAUL, MINNESOTA - More than a year after a 72-year-old South St. Paul man was shot and killed inside his apartment, the man convicted of his murder has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Jacob John Audie, 37, was sentenced Tuesday, August 25, to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the April 2025 murder of Michael Maurice Schille, 72, Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena announced. Judge Kathryn Iverson handed down the sentence in Dakota County District Court, six days after Audie was found guilty of premeditated first-degree murder and intentional second-degree murder following a stipulated facts trial on August 19th.
The life-without-parole sentence brings the criminal case to a close more than 16 months after Schille was found shot to death inside the South St. Paul apartment he shared with Audie.
April 2025 Shooting
The case began at approximately 8:48 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025, when Audie called 911 and reported that he had shot his roommate inside their South St. Paul apartment. According to the original criminal complaint, Audie told dispatchers that his friend was dead and that the firearm was on the couch.
South St. Paul police officers responded to the apartment and located Audie standing in the parking lot on the west side of the building, holding his phone. Audie complied with officers' commands and was taken into custody. Officers then entered the apartment, where they found Schille sitting on a couch in a back bedroom with a television remote in his hand. Schille had suffered a gunshot wound to the left side of his face and was pronounced dead at the scene by responding medics.
Investigators found an AR-style rifle leaning against a couch in the living room with a live round nearby. Police also recovered a rifle magazine from the kitchen table, another magazine from a table in the back bedroom and an empty carbine casing on the couch near Schille. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was called to process the scene, and investigators subsequently executed a search warrant at the apartment.
Audie Admitted to Shooting Roommate, Complaint Said
According to the criminal complaint, Audie told investigators that he and Schille had lived together for approximately one to two years and that he helped care for Schille and clean the apartment. Audie admitted that he shot Schille once with Schille's own AR-15 rifle, according to prosecutors. Audie indicated that he shot Schille in the left cheek area while Schille was in his bedroom.
After the shooting, Audie told investigators he unloaded the rifle's magazine, placed it on a table, removed a round from the chamber and placed it near the couch before calling 911 and reporting what he had done. An autopsy conducted by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office determined Schille died from a gunshot wound to the head. His manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Charges Later Upgraded to First-Degree Murder
Audie was initially charged in April 2025 with one count of second-degree intentional murder, without premeditation. Prosecutors initially alleged that Audie intentionally caused Schille's death while using or possessing a firearm. The second-degree murder charge carried a maximum possible sentence of 40 years in prison. The case became significantly more serious several months later.
In September 2025, a Dakota County grand jury returned an indictment charging Audie with first-degree premeditated murder in addition to second-degree intentional murder. Under Minnesota law, a conviction for premeditated first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Audie ultimately proceeded with a stipulated facts trial, a proceeding in which a judge determines guilt based on an agreed-upon evidentiary record rather than testimony and evidence being presented during a traditional jury trial. On August 19, 2026, Judge Iverson found Audie guilty of both premeditated first-degree murder and intentional second-degree murder.
Six days later, Audie received the mandatory life-without-parole sentence for the first-degree murder conviction.
Audie Awaiting Transfer to State Prison
Audie remains in custody at the Dakota County Jail as of Tuesday, August 25, 2026, following his sentencing. According to the Dakota County Attorney's Office, he is awaiting transfer into the custody of the Minnesota Department of Corrections, where he will serve his life sentence.
The sentencing marks the final major development in a case that began with Audie's own 911 call on the night of Schille's death, progressed from an initial second-degree murder charge to a grand jury indictment for first-degree murder, and ultimately resulted in a conviction for premeditated murder.
Audie will not be eligible for release on parole.
Original Story: Death Investigation Underway Following Fatal Shooting in South St. Paul
Written by: Will Wight
