Minnesota Man Sentenced to Two Consecutive Life Terms for Killing Ex-Girlfriend and Her Boyfriend

A Minnesota man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after breaking into his former girlfriend’s home and killing her and her new boyfriend in a shotgun attack that unfolded while children were inside the house.

Randy Zimmerman, 46, was sentenced Monday to two consecutive life sentences for the November 2025 murders of 32-year-old Tabitha Trescott and 50-year-old Justin Reinarts.

Zimmerman pleaded guilty in August to two counts of first-degree murder, as well as murder charges involving intent while committing a felony and domestic abuse involving a past pattern of abuse. Prosecutors dismissed separate premeditated murder counts as part of the plea agreement.

A Deadly Confrontation Before Dawn

The killings happened around 4:20 a.m. on Nov. 2, 2025, at Trescott’s home in Brown County, Minnesota.

According to authorities, one of Trescott’s children called 911 after the shooting and told dispatchers that his mother’s ex-boyfriend had broken into the house and shot her.

Deputies arrived to find two victims upstairs. Investigators recovered two spent shotgun shells from the bedroom where Trescott and Reinarts were killed. Both victims had suffered fatal gunshot wounds to the head.

Several children were inside the residence at the time of the attack, according to authorities.

One of Trescott’s sons later told investigators that he had been asleep when he heard yelling and profanity coming from elsewhere in the home. When he went to investigate, he encountered Zimmerman in the hallway.

The boy said Zimmerman pointed a shotgun at him and ordered him back into his bedroom.

The child then recalled hearing Zimmerman confront his mother.

According to the criminal complaint, Zimmerman told Trescott, “I gave you a chance,” immediately before opening fire.

A 12-Hour Manhunt

After the shootings, Zimmerman fled the Minnesota home in a Toyota Camry.

Authorities eventually tracked the vehicle into Iowa, where the case took another dangerous turn.

During a high-speed pursuit in Louisa County, Iowa, Zimmerman allegedly fired a shotgun backward through the vehicle toward a sheriff’s deputy. The deputy was not struck.

Investigators pursued Zimmerman for roughly 12 hours before Iowa authorities were able to stop him.

Police ultimately used a maneuver to force his vehicle into a ditch, after which Zimmerman fled on foot. Officers eventually caught him in a nearby field and arrested him.

He was then held on Minnesota murder warrants and later returned to Minnesota to face the charges.

Guilty Plea Brings Two Life Sentences

Rather than take the case to trial, Zimmerman pleaded guilty in August 2026.

The plea resulted in the dismissal of some of the original charges, but he still faced severe punishment for killing two people.

On Monday, a judge sentenced him to two consecutive life terms.

Zimmerman apologized during the sentencing hearing, saying, “I truly am sorry.”

For Trescott’s family, however, the sentence marked the end of a painful legal battle rather than the end of their grief.

Terri Smith, Trescott’s mother, said the family could finally sleep knowing that justice had been served.

She also used the sentencing to warn others about abusive relationships, urging people not to believe repeated promises that an abusive partner will change.

Two Families Left to Grieve

Trescott was only 32 when she was killed, while Reinarts was 50. Their deaths left children and relatives to cope with a loss that began with a terrifying attack inside a family home.

The fact that children were present during the shooting made the tragedy even more painful for Trescott’s relatives.

Zimmerman received credit for 345 days he had already spent in custody. With two consecutive life sentences, he is expected to remain in prison for the rest of his life.

The case has now reached its legal conclusion, but for the families of Trescott and Reinarts, the consequences of that November morning will last far beyond the courtroom.

Source: Law&Crime, KEYC, Brown County Sheriff’s Office, KARE and court records.