Charges: Woman Killed Roommate Over Drinking At Sober House

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 46-year-old woman is accused of murder in her roommate's death last Sunday at their Bloomington apartment.

Donna Mae Bastyr is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 69-year-old Corrine Gibbs. Her death was allegedly the result of Bastyr being reported for drinking at a sober house.

According to the charges, Bloomington police were called to the apartment on the 8100 block of 12th Avenue just after 8 p.m. When officers arrived, they found Gibbs lying on the floor in her bedroom. She had suffered multiple visible bloody injuries on her face and head. An electrical cord was also wrapped around her neck.

An autopsy showed Gibbs died of complex homicidal violence.

The complaint states Gibbs had two roommates, Bastyr and the person who called 911. The apartment is part of a sober house, and they're not allowed to drink there. The woman immediately called 911 when she found Gibbs on the floor.

During the investigation, a separate 911 call was reported about a drunk and disorderly woman in a domestic altercation two blocks away at another sober living complex. Responding officers found Bastyr assaulting a man in the parking lot.

The complaint states Bastyr told officers she lived with Gibbs, but hadn't been home all day and left to take a train to meet her boyfriend. The boyfriend told police Bastyr had been extremely intoxicated the day before, and he was aware she didn't get along with Gibbs. She told him Gibbs "was going to get hers." The boyfriend told police Bastyr told him on the phone she killed Gibbs by bludgeoning her and wrapping a cord around her neck.

Bastyr told her boyfriend she was angry with Gibbs because she believed Gibbs reported her for drinking at the sober house. Bastyr believed she was going to be kicked out of the program.