Christopher Lee Neal was sentenced to 326 months in prison by a Benton County court for the second-degree murder of V.G. in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. The incident took place on August 12, 2024.
According to investigators, Neal met V.G. at a local bar on August 11, 2024. Security footage showed them leaving together and entering V.G.’s apartment building early the next morning. Neal left the building several hours later and drove away in V.G.’s vehicle. Later that day, V.G. was found dead in her apartment. An autopsy concluded she died from strangulation, and Neal’s DNA was discovered on her neck.
Neal was apprehended about a week after the crime near New Orleans, Louisiana, and subsequently returned to Minnesota for prosecution.
The case was prosecuted by the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison following a referral from Benton County Attorney Kathleen Reuter under Minnesota Statutes section 8.01. This statute allows the attorney general to appear in criminal cases upon request from county attorneys. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office primarily handles civil matters and generally does not prosecute most criminal cases unless referred under specific circumstances such as this one or Medicaid fraud.
Attorney General Ellison commented on the sentencing: “My thoughts are with Neal’s victim and her friends and family today,” said Attorney General Ellison.“I hope that Neal’s sentencing can bring them at least some measure of solace in their grief. Neal’s crimes were horrifying, and I thank the law enforcement agents that helped bring him to justice. My office and I stand ready to continue to improve public safety by prosecuting dangerous individuals like Neal.”
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Sauk Rapids Police Department, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office, and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
