A Hill City Man has been Sentenced for the Murder of his Brother in Aitkin County.

A Hill City man has been sentenced for the murder of his brother in Aitkin County. The man, 49-year-old James Robert Hess, was found guilty in June of felony 2nd degree murder concerning William Hess. James Hess told investigators that he came home in October 2021 to find his brother on the roof, threatening him. James Hess said he shot and killed his brother, claiming self defense. He then disposed of the body in a homemade camper, hiding it in the woods. The body was discovered in the camper in May of 2022. James Hess was sentenced to 450 months, or more than 37 years, behind bars. That sentence is higher than state sentencing guidelines. Hess will need to serve at least 2/3 of his prison sentence before he could serve under supervised release.