Woman Convicted of Murder in Affluent Southern MN Neighborhood

Credit River, MN (MinnesotaNow) - A guilty verdict was returned Friday afternoon in the trial of a woman accused of a murder in an affluent southern Minnesota suburban neighborhood.

Forty-seven-year-old Jennifer Lynn Lieber was arrested on the night of March 4, 2024, after Scott County deputies were sent to her home in the town of Credit River near Prior Lake to perform a welfare check. Court documents say her soon-to-be ex-husband contacted law enforcement after becoming concerned about her behavior, describing it as “weird.”

Victim Found Covered in Blood

The criminal complaint says deputies were met by a friend of Lieber when they arrived at the residence. The woman told deputies she saw 45-year-old David Nanovic lying at the bottom of the stairs inside the home, covered in blood. She also reported speaking with Lieber, who claimed Nanovic had a gun that went off when she kicked it out of his hand.

According to court documents, deputies then spoke with Lieber by phone and she exited the house. Inside, law enforcement officers found Nanovic at the bottom of the stairs with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. A handgun was located next to his body.

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Young Boy Was Key Witness

The criminal complaint says deputies later located the victim’s then-10-year-old son in the pool house on the property. The boy told investigators that he and his father had been living in the home and that his father had been involved in a romantic relationship with Lieber.

The court document says the child described a situation that developed while they were sitting on a couch watching television. He told investigators Lieber became very agitated, armed herself with a handgun, pointed it at them, and threatened to kill them while directing racial slurs at his father.

"Living Hell"

The boy also told deputies that Lieber had been drinking beer and blackberry brandy throughout the evening and described the home environment as “living in hell.”

According to the criminal complaint, the boy and the victim eventually left the home and went to the adjacent pool house. While there, they received a call from one of Lieber’s juvenile children who was concerned about the welfare of the family’s dogs. The child told investigators that he and his father later attempted to approach the house but were confronted outside by Lieber, who told them not to come inside and fired a shot.

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Guilty Verdict

The boy said his father later decided to make another attempt to enter the house. He described seeing his father go inside with his hands raised and told deputies it was the last time he saw him.

Lieber was found guilty Friday afternoon of second-degree murder with intent. She is scheduled to be sentenced in April.