St. Paul Man, 26, Pleads Guilty In Death Of Ex-Girlfriend

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – Twenty-six-year-old Brent Lynch, of St. Paul, entered his guilty plea Friday in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend, Carolyn Leete. In the plea, Lynch agreed to a 32 year prison sentence.

Lynch is slated to be sentenced on Nov. 1.

According to a criminal complaint, police found Leete face up, partially clothed and unresponsive on March 3 in a home on the 850 block of Minnehaha Avenue. Officers pronounced her dead at the scene. According to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office, Leete suffered several bruises on her head and chin, and several cuts on her lips. Investigators said she died from traumatic head injury due to physical assault.

Lynch allegedly told a neighbor that he meant to throw Leete – a woman whom he had dated for years -- on a bed, but missed, causing her to hit her head on the floor.

Police found Lynch walking towards a cab and arrested him. When being taken to jail, he said: "It wasn't supposed to go down like this. This wasn't supposed to happen. It was the alcohol."

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said Lynch "brutally took away a young woman's future."

"I am glad that we can avoid a trial for the victim's family," he said. "Our hearts go out to everyone who survives her death."

Lynch has four prior felony convictions, including one for terroristic threats against his then-pregnant girlfriend and terroristic threats against the same woman, shortly after she gave birth. He was also convicted of third-degree assault and criminal damage to property against a different victim.