BOYFRIEND ACCUSED OF BEATING GIRLFRIEND TO DEATH AFTER SHE REPORTED HIM NINE TIMES — THEN WROTE “SORRY” IN BLOOD

A Minnesota woman who repeatedly turned to police for help with her troubled relationship was found dead in her apartment in February 2024. More than two years later, her boyfriend has been charged with her murder, as prosecutors revisit a case that raises painful questions about repeated domestic violence reports and whether more could have been done to protect her.

Charles Foss, 36, has been charged with second-degree murder and stalking in connection with the death of his girlfriend, 47-year-old Allison Lussier, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors allege that Foss beat Lussier to death inside her Minneapolis apartment. The charges came after an extensive review of the evidence collected during the investigation, which authorities said had been submitted to prosecutors in June 2024.

The case is particularly disturbing because Lussier had reportedly contacted police repeatedly about Foss before her death. Local ABC affiliate KSTP reported that she made at least nine 911 calls involving him.

A Welfare Check Leads to a Horrifying Discovery

Lussier was found dead on February 22, 2024, after a witness became concerned that she had not been seen for several days.

According to a probable cause statement reviewed by Law&Crime, the witness last spoke with Lussier on February 17. The previous evening, Lussier had reportedly called police because Foss was inside her apartment and refused to leave.

Officers responded and escorted Foss from the residence, reportedly warning him not to return.

A few days later, the witness left a maintenance notice beneath Lussier’s apartment door. When the notice remained untouched on February 22, the witness became concerned and requested a welfare check.

Police entered the apartment and found Lussier lying on a mattress on the floor. Investigators reported that she appeared to have been dead for several days.

An autopsy determined that her cause of death was an acute subdural hematoma on the left side of her skull, a serious accumulation of blood beneath the skull’s protective covering. The examination also documented multiple bruises on her body, including around her right eye.

Although toxicology testing detected fentanyl and methamphetamine in her system, the medical examiner identified the head injury—not a drug overdose—as the cause of death.

That distinction later became significant as questions emerged about how the case had initially been understood and handled.

Text Messages Reveal Her Fear of Another Fight

Investigators examined communications between Lussier and Foss in the hours before her death.

According to the probable cause statement, Lussier sent Foss text messages on the afternoon of February 18 expressing that she did not want another argument.

“I don’t want to fight or talk about anything that’s gonna turn into a fight,” she reportedly wrote.

She also told him that she loved him but loved herself enough to move on from the conflict.

Foss later called and said he was coming to her apartment. Lussier reportedly told him she would be there.

Her sister last spoke with her at approximately 3 p.m. that day. When the sister tried calling again around 6 p.m., she could not reach her.

Investigators believe these communications help establish the timeline surrounding Lussier’s final hours. Authorities have not publicly detailed every interaction between the couple that day, but the messages became part of the evidence examined in the murder investigation.

Boyfriend Allegedly Told Others He Had Killed Her

As detectives pursued leads, they interviewed people who had contact with Foss after Lussier’s death.

According to prosecutors, Foss was staying at a homeless encampment around that time. Witnesses allegedly told investigators that he made statements suggesting he had killed his girlfriend.

One witness reported that Foss said, “I think I killed that b— this time.”

Other people allegedly heard him admit that he had beaten Lussier to death or otherwise said he had killed her.

Investigators also learned that Foss had reportedly discussed the killing with another person and left behind a cellphone that belonged to Lussier. The witness turned the device over to police.

Another witness told investigators that on February 24, Foss was behaving strangely and allegedly said he was wanted for murder because he had beaten his girlfriend to death.

These reported statements became important elements of the investigation, although prosecutors must establish the allegations through the legal process.

A Troubling History of Domestic Violence Reports

The investigation also revealed a history of reported domestic violence involving the couple.

According to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and local reporting, Lussier had repeatedly contacted police about Foss during their approximately three-year relationship.

KSTP reported that she made at least nine 911 calls involving him.

The repeated calls have drawn attention to the response she received before her death and the challenges authorities faced in addressing the reported incidents.

Following Lussier’s death, an audit examined how the Minneapolis Police Department handled the case. The review reportedly found that staffing shortages had hindered timely arrests and contributed to delays in responding to calls.

The findings raised concerns about how resource limitations can affect responses to domestic violence reports, particularly when a person has contacted authorities multiple times about the same partner.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty also addressed an earlier public statement by former Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who reportedly characterized Lussier’s death as a drug overdose. Moriarty acknowledged that this characterization was incorrect in light of the medical examiner’s findings.

The case has therefore involved not only allegations of a fatal assault, but also questions about the handling of earlier reports and the initial understanding of the circumstances surrounding Lussier’s death.

“Sorry” Written in Blood During a Separate Incident

Foss was later involved in another serious incident that brought him back into police custody.

On July 30, 2024, authorities allegedly spotted him driving a stolen vehicle. According to the probable cause statement, he rammed a police squad car before fleeing on foot.

He reportedly broke into a nearby residence and threatened the occupants with a knife. The residents escaped unharmed, while Foss barricaded himself inside the home.

Police said Foss hid in a closet and cut his own throat with the knife. On the closet door, he reportedly wrote the word “sorry” in his own blood.

He eventually surrendered to officers and was later convicted of burglary in connection with the incident.

Foss is currently serving a 105-month prison sentence for that separate burglary conviction. The murder and stalking charges related to Lussier’s death are a separate case.

Authorities have not said that the word written on the closet door was specifically an apology for Lussier’s death, and it should not be interpreted as a confession to the murder charge.

Murder Charges Filed More Than Two Years Later

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced the new charges on October 22, 2026.

Prosecutors said an extensive legal review of the evidence and the requirements for proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt led them to charge Foss with second-degree murder and stalking.

According to Law&Crime, Foss was expected to appear in court in connection with the new charges in the days following the announcement.

The case now moves into another stage as prosecutors seek to establish what happened to Lussier and whether Foss is criminally responsible for her death.

For Lussier’s loved ones, the charges come more than two years after she was found dead in her apartment. The reports that she repeatedly sought help before her death have also placed renewed attention on the importance of taking domestic violence complaints seriously and ensuring that people at risk receive timely protection.

Foss has been charged, but the allegations must still be proven in court. He is presumed innocent unless and until he is found guilty.

Source: Law&Crime