Police say the 43-year-old victim died from multiple assault injuries.
MAPLEWOOD, Minn. — A 17-year-old girl has been charged with second-degree murder after her mother was found dead Friday morning during a welfare check at a Maplewood apartment, police and court records say.
Officers found 43-year-old Georgina Lee Monk inside an apartment on the 1800 block of Beebe Road North after they were called about 9:30 a.m. June 26. Police said Monk had significant blunt force trauma. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner later ruled her death a homicide caused by multiple injuries from an assault.
Maplewood police said investigators secured the apartment and worked with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The investigation quickly focused on Monk’s teenage daughter, who was later arrested and booked into the Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Center. The teen is not being named because she is charged in juvenile court.
Charging documents say the girl admitted striking Monk with a hammer. The complaint says she later asked staff at her daytime treatment center to check on her mother because she felt regret. Investigators also reviewed security video that showed the teen leaving the apartment building early that morning while carrying a hammer, according to the complaint.
Neighbors told investigators they heard Monk and her daughter arguing the day before the body was found. The complaint says the argument was described as more heated than usual. Court records also say Monk had diabetes, had a foot infection and was using a wheelchair at the time of her death.
Maplewood Police Chief Brian Bierdeman called the case “tragic and deeply disturbing” and said it had shaken the family, neighbors and the broader community. Police have not said whether anyone else was inside the apartment at the time of the assault. A motive has not been formally established in court.
The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office filed one count of second-degree murder. Prosecutors said they plan to seek adult prosecution, a step that would move the case out of juvenile court if approved by a judge. No adult criminal conviction has been entered, and the teen remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case now moves through Ramsey County Juvenile Court as prosecutors prepare the next filing on adult certification. Police said the investigation remains active with help from state crime agents.
Author note: Last updated Wednesday, July 1, 2026.