Craig Alan Hameister has been convicted of second degree intentional murder for the shooting death of Melissa Hunt in Wabasha County, Minnesota. The conviction follows a plea hearing where Hameister admitted to shooting Hunt at a boat launch in Kellogg on June 18, 2025. During the hearing, Hameister stated: “I shot Melissa Hunt in the face.” He acknowledged that he caused her death by shooting her with a handgun and that he intended to kill her.
The case was prosecuted by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office after being referred by Wabasha County Attorney Matthew Stinson under Minnesota Statutes section 8.01. This statute allows the attorney general to appear in court for criminal cases upon request from county attorneys. Typically, prosecuting authority for most criminal acts rests with city and county attorneys, while the attorney general’s office focuses primarily on civil matters except for certain referrals and Medicaid fraud cases.
Attorney General Keith Ellison commented on the outcome: “Melissa was a kind and caring woman whose smile could light up any room she walked into, and my heart goes out to her friends, family, and loved ones for their loss,” said Attorney General Ellison. “Crimes like this shock one’s conscious, and they demand justice. Today’s guilty plea ensures that Craig Hameister will be held accountable for taking Melissa’s life. My office and I will continue working with county attorneys and law enforcement across our state to deliver justice to those who break the law and harm their fellow Minnesotans. And I will be keeping Melissa’s loved ones in my prayers. I hope today’s guilty plea delivers some measure of solace to them in their grief.”
Ellison also expressed gratitude to the Wabasha County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for their roles in investigating and helping prosecute the case.
