A northern Minnesota man, Chad Aanerud, 36, has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years for killing his neighbor and abducting his pregnant girlfriend and her four children. The sentence was handed down Feb. 17 after Aanerud pleaded guilty in December 2025 to first-degree murder, kidnapping, first-degree burglary, and two counts of second-degree assault.
According to a Nov. 1, 2024 press release from the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 1:50 a.m. to a shooting on Loerch Road in Oak Lawn Township, east of Brainerd. At the scene, they found 62-year-old Lyle Maske deceased from an apparent gunshot wound.
Abduction and AMBER Alert
Investigators identified Aanerud as the suspect and alleged he forced five individuals — his pregnant girlfriend and her four children, ages 14, 11, 7, and 3 — into a white 2017 Chrysler Pacifica before fleeing the area. Authorities issued an AMBER Alert with details about the suspect and vehicle.
Charging documents cited by local media alleged that before the fatal shooting, Aanerud sexually assaulted the woman and set fire to a nearby residence. Deputies later found the home fully engulfed in flames, and it was ultimately destroyed. In court documents, Aanerud reportedly told investigators that he accidentally shot Maske after the neighbor “stuck his nose” where it didn’t belong.
Arrest and Plea Agreement
At approximately 7:15 a.m., law enforcement located the vehicle in Morrison County and took Aanerud into custody. The abducted woman and children were found unharmed.
As part of a plea agreement, additional charges including arson and criminal sexual conduct were dismissed. Aanerud’s life sentence means he will not be eligible for parole for at least three decades.
