Man kills his ex then is found hiding in tree, Minnesota cops say. ‘Great shock’

A 44-year-old man is accused of killing his ex and hiding in a tree for hours in an attempt to evade capture in Minnesota, authorities said.

Melissa Hunt, 36, was still alive but “severely injured” when deputies responded to a call for help at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, the Wabasha County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. However, she was taken to a hospital where she died a short time later — but not before she pointed investigators toward her accused killer, according to a criminal complaint filed June 20.

Hunt was a “daughter, sister, mom, niece, and friend” whose “life was tragically cut short,” a Gofundme page read. “Melissa (Hunt) died by the hand of another — senselessly — leaving her family and friends in great shock, pain, and sorrow.”

A homeowner in Kellogg dialed 911 after Hunt pulled into their driveway with “significant facial injuries,” the complaint read. She was missing teeth and part of her jaw, but still she spoke with deputies. She was physically unable to say the name of the person who attacked her, so she tried spelling it out letter by letter, and the deputies understood — 44-year-old Craig Hameister, her ex, according to the complaint.

Hunt said Hameister assaulted her with a stick at a nearby boat launch, the complaint read. Investigators say gunshot residue was later found embedded in Hunt’s wound.

It was raining heavily at the boat launch and investigators initially found no evidence, but they located Hameister’s truck in Chatfield, a town roughly 40 miles southwest from Kellogg by car.

There was a 9mm pistol round on the floor of the truck, and a witness told deputies she saw Hameister earlier and that he was acting “very frantic,” said “something bad happened,” then left the area on a motorcycle, documents read. The witness added that Hameister warned her police would be coming, investigators said, then she realized a 9mm handgun belonging to her was missing.

Hameister was found 16 miles away in Chester, the complaint said, and when authorities arrived, he climbed up a tree but “was ultimately apprehended after an hours long standoff.” Investigators said a 9mm pistol was found at the bottom of the tree.

Hameister is facing two counts of second-degree murder, records show. Each charge carries a sentence of up to 40 years in prison if convicted.

Hunt “loved all things art,” and was a mother of two girls who were her “biggest passions in life,” an obituary read.

Wabasha County is about an 80-mile drive southeast from Minneapolis.

This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Man kills his ex then is found hiding in tree, Minnesota cops say. ‘Great shock’."