Police say Georgina Lee Monk died from multiple injuries after an assault inside her Beebe Road apartment.
MAPLEWOOD, Minn. — A 17-year-old girl has been charged with second-degree murder after police found her mother dead June 26 inside a Maplewood apartment, authorities said.
Ramsey County prosecutors charged the teen in juvenile court in the death of 43-year-old Georgina Lee Monk. Police said officers went to an apartment complex on the 1800 block of Beebe Road North after concerns were raised about Monk’s welfare. The case has drawn attention because investigators say the suspect was Monk’s daughter and because court records describe a violent attack inside the home.
Officers arrived about 9:30 a.m. Friday, June 26, and found Monk dead inside the apartment. Police said she had significant blunt force injuries. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner later ruled her death a homicide caused by multiple injuries from an assault. Maplewood Police Chief Brian Bierdeman called the case “tragic and deeply disturbing” and said it had affected Monk’s family, neighbors and the wider community.
According to charging documents described by local reports, staff at the teen’s day treatment program became concerned that morning after she arrived and said someone should check on her mother because she felt regret. Investigators said the teen was acting strangely, and police were sent to the apartment for a welfare check. Inside, officers found Monk in her bed with injuries to her face and upper body. Police said Monk used a wheelchair because of medical issues linked to diabetes and a foot infection.
Investigators said people at the apartment building described conflict between Monk and her daughter before the killing. An apartment manager told police he heard an argument between them the night before Monk was found dead and said it sounded more heated than usual. A neighbor told investigators Monk had recently taken away the teen’s cellphone. Authorities have not said whether that dispute was the only alleged motive, and prosecutors have not released a full public timeline beyond the details cited in charging records.
Police said surveillance video from the building showed the teen leaving the apartment early June 26 with a large white garbage bag. Investigators said video later showed her carrying a hammer before she was seen again without it. Around 7 a.m., police said, she was seen walking toward a nearby bus stop. Officers later reported finding bloodstains in several areas of the apartment, including the teen’s bedroom, and bloody clothing in a hamper.
After the teen was taken into custody, investigators said she first gave explanations for the garbage bag and hammer. She told police taking out trash was one of her chores and said Monk had asked her to put the hammer back in the garage. As the interview continued, police said, the teen admitted striking her mother with the hammer. The complaint says she also spoke about mental health struggles, whispers and intrusive thoughts. At one point, police said, she asked whether she was a criminal because she had killed one person.
The teen was booked into the Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Center. Prosecutors filed one count of second-degree murder and said they plan to seek adult certification. That process would determine whether the case remains in juvenile court or moves forward in adult court. No plea has been reported. The allegations in the complaint have not been proven in court.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted Maplewood police in the investigation. Authorities have not publicly released the teen’s name because she is a juvenile. Police have not said whether the hammer was recovered or whether additional forensic testing remains underway. The next major step is expected in Ramsey County court as prosecutors pursue the adult certification request.
Author note: Last updated July 1, 2026.