Alexander Petrovich Murdered His Mother and 23-Year-Old Brother in Minnesota Murder-Suicide

 

Alexander Petrovich Murdered His Mother and Younger Brother Before Killing Himself

On February 22, 2020, 26-year-old Alexander James Petrovich shot and killed his mother and younger brother inside their home in Apple Valley, Minnesota, before dying by suicide.

The victims were:

• Janice Lucille Petrovich, 60, his mother

• Jonathan “Jack” Joseph Petrovich, 23, his younger brother

Police discovered all three bodies after responding to the home on Upper Elwood Court.

Autopsies confirmed that Janice and Jonathan had been shot in the head. Janice had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

Investigators determined that Alexander shot his mother and brother before turning the gun on himself.

According to search warrant affidavits, Alexander had been struggling with severe mental health issues, including diagnosed paranoid schizophrenia.

Family members and neighbors described periods of rage, confrontational behavior, and unpredictable outbursts.

Court records showed little prior criminal history beyond a misdemeanor property damage case involving loose dogs.

But mental illness alone does not explain murder, and a diagnosis should never become a substitute for understanding what happened.

Because Alexander died, there was no criminal trial. The medical examiner ruled Janice's and Jonathan's deaths homicides and Alexander's death a suicide.

Janice was 60. Jonathan was 23. A mother and her youngest son were murdered inside their own home by someone they should have been able to trust. Whatever Alexander was struggling with, they deserved to fucking live.