UPDATE: Hibbing Man Charged With Murder For Death of Girlfriend

UPDATE (July 1, 5 p.m.) – St. Louis County prosecutors have charged a Hibbing man with murder in the second degree for the death of his girlfriend.

Police arrested 46-year-old Eric James Jarvis after he called 911 early Tuesday morning. When police arrived, his girlfriend, 43-year-old Kari Jo Petrich was on the floor of the apartment. Officers said they could tell right away that she was dead.

The criminal complaint says an autopsy found the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to her face, leading to a brain bleed.

The complaint says officers had been called to the apartment twice just two days before her death.

They also found blood stained evidence inside a trash bag that was thrown out one day prior to the 911 call.

When interviewed, Jarvis told investigators they were constantly fighting, and she may have not moved from the floor for over 24 hours.

ORIGINAL POST:

HIBBING, Minn. — A woman in Hibbing was found dead by first responders on Tuesday, and police say her death is suspicious.

Just before 1 a.m., police and fire/EMS were called out to the 3500-block of 9th Avenue West for an unresponsive 43-year-old woman who wasn’t breathing.

Her 46-year-old boyfriend was at the scene and brought into the Hibbing Police Department for questioning.

Officers then brought him to the St. Louis County Jail, where he was booked for domestic-related charges.

The Minnesota BCA Crime Scene Team went to the place where the woman was found dead to help with the investigation.

An autopsy on the victim will be performed by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s office in Anoka.

The victim has not been identified at this time.