News

Oct 27, 2023

St. Peter man charged with murder in girlfriend's overdose death

A St. Peter man is facing murder charges in connection with his girlfriend’s overdose death. Brent Charles Tesch, 39, is accused of supplying the victim with the heroin and fentanyl that led to her

A St. Peter man is facing murder charges in connection with his girlfriend’s overdose death.

Brent Charles Tesch, 39, is accused of supplying the victim with the heroin and fentanyl that led to her June 2 death.

A criminal complaint says Tesch called 911 to report he’d found his girlfriend at a Mankato residence slumped over a weight bench at about 4:30 p.m.

Investigators who arrived on the scene determined the woman had been dead for several hours, as her body was in a state of rigor mortis and cold to the touch.

Tesch told police he hadn’t seen his girlfriend since he left the home at 7:40 a.m. that morning. Tesch initially told police the victim didn’t use drugs around him because she knew he didn’t approve of her drug habits. He denied touching anything on or around her body before calling police.

The complaint says Tesch had deleted text messages on his phone that included a discussion with his girlfriend about smoking smoke “China White” for her headache. Investigators say the term is commonly used on the streets to refer to fentanyl.

A witness told police Tesch had admitted to using heroin with the victim the day or night before her death.

The complaint says Tesch admitted he had taken the heroin and thrown it away in a garbage at a nearby park when he discovered the victim’s dead body, then later retrieved it after law enforcement and the medics left the scene. Court documents say he also admitted to smashing the victim’s phone and throwing it out his car window.

Tesch allegedly told police he had gone to a dealer to pick up black tar heroin, but “wanted to make the victim happy by scoring some of the ‘white’ as well.”

Tesch told police he believed the victim must have stolen the fentanyl from him and “done too much.”

An autopsy determined the victim’s death was caused by mixed drug toxicity and she tested positive for amphetamine, methamphetamine, free morphine, TCH, fentanyl, and norfentanyl.

Tesch is facing one felony 3rd-degree murder charge in Blue Earth County Court.