Man Admits To Murdering Brother, Pregnant Sister-In-Law While Exchanging Christmas Card With Police Chief

A South Dakota man has confessed to murdering his brother and pregnant sister-in-law during a casual meeting with his local police chief to exchange a Christmas card.

Brent Hanson, from Milbank, admitted to killing his brother Clyde, sister-in-law Jessica and her unborn child. Brent has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three alternative counts of second-degree murder, KELO-TV reported citing court documents.

The incident came to light when the accused met Milbank Police Chief Boyd VanVooren to exchange Christmas cards from a church on Dec. 15.

During the meeting at the department's office, Chief VanVooren enquired Brent about "any further issues" with Clyde and Jessica as Brent was arrested in July regarding a domestic abuse case against his sister-in-law. However, Brent told the chief that "they no longer live here."

Minutes later, Chief VanVooren heard a police radio call for a welfare check at the victims' address after a food delivery staff noticed blood on the door. When the police chief asked Brent if there was blood on his door, he allegedly said: "I snapped, while making a "slashing motion" using his thumb across his neck.

Brent said he "totally flipped" during the incident and admitted he killed Clyde with a baseball bat on Dec.12 while the victim was alone at home. He also told the officer that he murdered Jessica, who was nine months pregnant, using a machete when she came home the next morning.

The man took the couple's 3-year-old child to his downstairs apartment after the murders. He told the police chief that "the child was safe and that he fed the child."

Police soon searched the residential property where Brent and the victims lived in separate spaces. Jessica's body was found under a blue tarpaulin and Clyde's behind the wallboard, both in a portion of the house that was "undone." The 3-year-old was found sleeping in a bedroom, New York Post reported.

Brent's arrest in July was in connection with an incident where he allegedly pushed around the couple after an argument over Jessica's dog. He is currently jailed on a $5 million cash bond.