Tim Walz's soft-on-crime laws lead to release of convicted axe murder who killed most of his family at 16 years old

Under a law signed by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in 2023, axe murderer David Brom is set to leave prison in late July despite being sentenced to serve three life sentences.

In 1988, then-16-year-old Brom used an axe to kill his mother, father, and two of his three siblings at their home in Rochester, Minnesota, per KTTC. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder. Brom was sentenced to three life sentences. 

Brom, 53, is eligible for early release from prison after a bill was passed by state lawmakers and signed into law by Walz in 2023. That law made juveniles serving life sentences eligible for parole or supervised release after serving at least 15 years behind bars.

Brom is set for release on July 29 and will reside at a halfway house in the Twin Cities area. Per the Minnesota Star Tribune, Brom will be on work release and is subject to supervision. He will have GPS monitoring.

Speaking with the supervised release board in January 2025, Brom said, "To give an idea of what leads a person to commit the murders that I did. I struggled with depression for some time and it had clouded my thoughts, and it clouded my ability to process things. And I had grown to a short-sighted view that I thought these things were going to last forever, and I knew I couldn’t live that way forever and in the cloud of depression, and I started to believe that other people were at fault."

He said he had a "level of emotional maturity now in order to deal with and recognize what I’m feeling," and added that he had a strong support system in place.

"I’ve tried to change everything I could about myself. I’m a good example of what a transformation can look like in a person’s life through the Board of Corrections. I’ve demonstrated consistency in that process, maturity and growth. I believe I’m ready for parole," Brom said. The board denied Brom’s parole but granted supervised work release.

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth said in a statement, "We must prioritize public safety over leniency for violent criminals. The legislature must act to ensure our laws reflect the seriousness of such unimaginable crimes."