BLUE EARTH, Minn. -
Officials say 37-year-old Christopher Michael Fulmer of Blue Earth died from blunt force trauma.
Authorities are still searching for the weapon used, but say he was bludgeoned with a tool or tools when a masked man entered his home early Monday.
Authorities have also released the name of the man who is suspected of invading a Blue Earth home, killing one person and injuring three others.
Officials say Brian Daniel Freeman, 29, of Ceylon is in custody awaiting formal charges.
When a murder happens right next to your own home, Linda Wells says it's hard to put what happened into words.
"We're very shocked," she said. "We feel very sad too, and it's so tragic."
Authorities believe Brian Freeman entered the home wearing a mask. Once inside, investigators say he beat the people who were in the house, killing a 37-year-old man.
Freeman's 38-year-old wife, Candice Marie Freeman, was seriously injured during the attack along with her 19 and 15-year-old daughters. A 6-year-old daughter of the suspect and Candice Freeman was found unharmed.
"They were nice and quiet and kept to themselves," said Wells as she spoke of the victims. "I didn't know them real well, but they would say 'hi' if you walked by."
Other residents living within eyeshot of the crime scene say they are surprised as well.
"We are extremely shocked, this is a really quiet neighborhood, nothing like this ever really happens around here so we were extremely surprised and a little scared when we found out exactly what was going on," said Becky Anderson, a Blue Earth resident.
Blue Earth Mayor Rob Hammond says right now, the city of about 3,600 people is trying to cope.
"You don't have situations where you have murders take place and this is first of all quite a surprise," Hammond said.
The Faribault County Sheriff's Office says Brian Freeman is expected to appear before a judge on Wednesday to face formal charges in connection with the crime.
An autopsy is being conducted on the victim. Investigators have not said how the victim died and are trying to locate the weapon or weapons used during the attacks.
