A chilling case out of Minnesota is drawing national attention after a child’s account helped dismantle a woman’s claim that a deadly shooting was an accident.

A 47-year-old woman has been sentenced to more than 25 years in prison for the fatal shooting of her boyfriend—despite initially insisting the gun went off by mistake. But prosecutors say the truth was far more disturbing.

According to details reported by local news outlets and court documents, Jennifer Lynn Lieber was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2024 death of her boyfriend, David Nanovic, 45. The case took a dramatic turn when Nanovic’s 10-year-old son provided a key account that contradicted Lieber’s version of events.

On the night of March 4, deputies were called to the home for a welfare check after Lieber’s estranged husband reported that she was behaving erratically. When officers arrived, they found a chaotic scene—and Lieber reportedly admitted, “I really f—ed up.”

She initially told police the shooting was accidental, claiming Nanovic had been holding a gun and that it discharged when she kicked it out of his hand.

But investigators quickly uncovered a different story.

Nanovic was found at the bottom of a staircase, covered in blood, with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. An autopsy later confirmed the shot was a contact wound, meaning the gun had been fired at extremely close range.

The most critical testimony came from Nanovic’s young son.

According to police reports, the boy told officers that Lieber had been holding the gun for hours, acting increasingly unstable and aggressive throughout the evening. He described how she had been shouting insults and using racial slurs, and said living with her had felt like “living in hell.”

At one point, the boy and his father left the main house to avoid the escalating tension, retreating to a pool house on the property. But the situation continued to deteriorate.

The child told investigators that when they later approached the house again, Lieber pointed the gun at them and warned them not to come inside—before firing a shot.

Fearing for their safety, they retreated once more. But Nanovic later returned to the house alone to check on the family’s dogs.

He never came back.

When police located the boy, he reportedly made a statement that would become central to the case: “She had the gun in her hand.”

That account directly contradicted Lieber’s claim that the weapon had been in Nanovic’s possession.

Additional evidence further weakened her defense. A friend told investigators that Lieber had called her in a panic, saying there was “blood everywhere” but insisting it wasn’t her fault. Meanwhile, her own children had contacted their father, saying their mother was “not acting normal.”

Taken together, prosecutors argued the shooting was not an accident, but the culmination of a volatile and dangerous situation.

A jury ultimately agreed, finding Lieber guilty earlier this year. She has now been sentenced to 25½ years in prison, with credit for time already served.

The case has left a lasting impact—not only because of the violence involved, but because of the role a young witnessplayed in helping uncover the truth.

For many, it serves as a stark reminder of how domestic conflicts can escalate rapidly—and how critical eyewitness accounts can be in delivering justice.