Man Strangled Woman In Hastings Hotel: Charges

HASTINGS, MN — A Dakota County jury voted Friday to indict a 34-year-old Red Wing man in the killing of 36-year-old Kelly Jo Marie Kocurek of Hastings.

Kyle S. Williams faces one count each of first-degree murder (domestic abuse), first-degree murder (premeditated), and second-degree murder (with intent, not premeditated).

Under Minnesota law, a first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic sentence of life in prison.

Williams is being held at Dakota County Jail on a $2,000,000 bail. He made his first court appearance on the indictment Monday, and his next court hearing is scheduled for April 4.

On May 18, 2021, at about 1:20 p.m., Hastings police responded to a call for medical attention at a hotel.

At the scene, Williams ran out the front door of the hotel screaming for officers to hurry, according to the criminal complaint.

He led them up to room 205 and told officers he could not get "her" to wake up and told officers to "zap" her, investigators said.

A woman, identified as Kocurek, was laying on the floor on her back with marks on her neck, blood on her face, and her left arm across her body, police reported. She was unresponsive and there were severed cords next to her, according to the criminal complaint.

While police provided first aid, Williams "continued to scream hysterically" that Kocure strangled herself, the criminal complaint continued.

Kocure was transported to Regions Hospital where she was in a coma for five days before dying on May 23, 2021, according to authorities.

Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and ruled that Kocure died as a result of asphyxia due to ligature strangulation, the criminal complaint states.

The medical examiner determined that several injuries related to the asphyxia "were inconsistent with self-inflicted injury," police said.

Kocure also had numerous traumatic head injuries from physical assault, including bruises on her face, head, ear, and jaw, according to authorities.