the word divorce being thrown around. from the beginning they had one suspect, it was chris. there was another purse here that could ve done this, and it was german. that would be a motive for murder. that was a concern. you see it on tv happening to other people, but you don t think it will happen to you. two shots were fired. and then 1001 questions. you just don t think that things will happen in a small town to good people. and it did. reporter: it was, this was where happiness lived. happiness, memories, and desire. wishes and dreams just out of reach. its name is spider lake, one of those thousands of lakes that filled up the rocky gouges and glaciers left behind. maybe that s why they sparkle the way they do. why this one in minnesota spread out every which way. and here, near the tip of its northern is the spider lake resort. family cabins. it calls itself one of northern minnesota s best kept secrets. secrets. the word that will certainly apply
what happened in the kruse house here in tiny brewster, what happened in the cruise minnesota was a truly, terrible thing. house here in minnesota was, truly, a terrible thing. the loss of that woman, jam kruse was a tragic event. even more so because it just seemed pointless. why would someone go to the house, and shoot a sleeping moment? it didn t make any sense. did she have enemies who would want her dead? that was a question we asked, often. who would have wanted jan dead? we could not find one person who did not like jan or thought that she wasn t a good person. there was, however, that young man, jeremy majerus, they re not quite boyfriend,
i sued it wasn t good from the sound of his voice. reporter: he called his in laws. terry and mary jeanne pigment. he called us in the early morning, and was extremely broken up i couldn t understand what he was saying. i could tell he was in tears which wasn t a usual thing for chris he was pretty stoic. he was telling me, she didn t make it. we lost her. he didn t protect her. reporter: of all the people in the world, especially this tiny world brewster minnesota population for 73, why would jen need protecting? why would someone shoot her? the least likely murder victim. she was very true, very genuine person. she enjoyed spending time with her family and her kids and her husband. when she interacted with people, it was real. she cared.
it would ve fit them. reporter: would have. until. until the events the events of 2015. reporter: by the time all of this happened, chris and jan had kruse been married for two decades. they had lived here in a tiny place called brewster, minnesota, population for 73. in the world southwest corner of minnesota. they had a good and happy marriage, and a happy life. what they had was what i hope to have some day. i loved our family. reporter: isaac, their eldest was 20. then his sister bailey was 15 that summer. that was the year spring of 2015, when isaac discovered that spider lake resort was for sale. and a buzz of excitement filled the house. reporter: did you ever fantasize about the family owning that? place when i found out they were talking about buying, it i
was starting to look for my line of the work in that area. i thought it would be very fun to help, and help work on the resort. reporter: that is the sort of place becomes month generational to you look forward to association with it for your whole life. come august, chris and jan drove the six hours from brewster, minnesota to spider lake to engage in negotiating. and there were obstacles, of course there were. as john told her sister k. it was just the timing with bailey having a couple years left of school, she just wanted to buy it, but it there was a lot that went into the decision. reporter: mostly of course, the money. john the bookkeeper around the numbers. they offered as much as their bank would allow. but it wasn t enough. was it jan who faced it first? they would have to move on?