Images (left): Jordan Hanson (Kittson County Sheriff’s Office). (right): Justin Esparza (GoFundMe). Background: Hallock, Minn. (Google Maps).
A Minnesota woman has admitted to the tragic crime of fatally shooting her boyfriend and has consequently been sentenced to prison.
Jordan Hanson, 24, confessed to second-degree murder, marking a year since she took the life of her 43-year-old boyfriend, Justin Esparza, at his residence in Hallock, Minnesota. As reported by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the fatal incident involved Hanson using Esparza’s own firearm before she made a quick escape in his truck, accompanied by his dog.
Following the grim event on March 13, 2025, law enforcement said that Hanson returned to her mother’s house with the dog, where she confessed to shooting Esparza.
Upon hearing the shocking admission, Hanson’s mother notified the authorities. During the subsequent call, Hanson was hesitant to discuss details over the phone, expressing a preference for an in-person conversation, though she made a vague reference to Esparza and his pet. Police noted that Hanson appeared to be under the influence of drugs during the call.
Hanson’s mother had told police that her daughter had just been picked up from a treatment center.
While police were on the phone with Hanson and her mother, Hanson’s sister called 911 to have someone go to Esparza’s home to check on him.
Police arrived at Esparza’s home and found him dead in his living room, covered in blood from a wound to his head. A Smith & Wesson 9 mm handgun was on the couch next to him, a shell casing on the floor.
When Chief Deputy Dave Thompson from the Kittson County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the home of Hanson’s mother, he placed Hanson under arrest. While she was being arrested, she told Thompson “that he lost weight.” She continued to talk, and police said she “was not making any sense.” Among her statements was a question about “what all the sugar beets were still doing on the ground.”
Thompson reportedly asked Hanson if she knew why she was being arrested. She replied, “[B]ecause she shot Chief Deputy Thompson and she was sorry.”
Police interviewed a witness who said he was at Esparza’s house, where he smoked meth with Hanson and Esparza. He confirmed that he saw Hanson shoot Esparza.
Hanson received a 15-year prison sentence on Wednesday.