Inset left: Casey Kindt (Seward County Sheriff's Office). Inset right: Jamie Hagen (Obituary). Background: The residential street near where Kindt shot and killed Hagen in Seward, Neb. (Google Maps).
A Nebraska man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for breaking into his ex-fiancee's own home and killing her within days of bonding out of jail for charges related to a prior attack.
In February of this year, Casey Kindt, 55, pleaded no contest to eight felony counts and three misdemeanors he faced for the February 2025 murder of 36-year-old Jamie Hagen.
Under the terms of the plea deal, prosecutors lowered one count of first-degree murder to one count of second-degree murder.
In turn, Seward County District Judge James Stecker found the defendant guilty of murder, three firearm counts, two child abuse counts, and one count each of burglary, tampering with a witness, terroristic threats, domestic violence, and violating a protection order.
On Tuesday, the court sentenced the defendant to a minimum of 88 years and six months in prison, with the possibility of life behind bars.
The sentencing ultimately encapsulated and wrapped up three separate cases related to the brutal abuse and murder of the victim.
Hagen's stepmother praised the culmination of the cases against the killer in comments to Lincoln-based CBS affiliate KOLN.
"Eighty-eight and a half years," she said. "He'll never see the light of day or freedom ever again. Justice served. It is enough."
The underlying incident occurred late on the night of Feb. 8, 2025, at Hagen's home on North 2nd Street in Seward, a small town located on the far western edge of the broader Lincoln metro area.
Kindt broke into his ex's house, then shot and killed her, with the goal of taking his own life. But despite a "significant" injury from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his own head, the killer survived.
Investigators said the would-be suicidal blast failed because the bullet fragmented upon making impact with Kindt's skull — though part of the projectile lodged in the defendant's brain.
Kindt exited the residence but was quickly intercepted on the property by the Nebraska State Patrol, who had responded to a call about a disturbance at around 11:45 p.m. on the night in question.
Troopers found Hagen in a bedroom with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime.
The woman's obituary remembers her fondly:
Jamie worked for Region V as a Developmental Support Specialist. In her free time, she enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. She liked reptiles, tattoos, art, swimming and going to the beach. Jamie considered the entire community of Seward to be her family, the most important of which were her daughters[.]
One of Hagen's children was also in the residence at the time of the fatal violence. The girl was not harmed and made the initial 911 call.
At the time of the incident, Hagen had a protective order out against Kindt, issued after their romantic relationship ended. Hagen had filed for the protective order two days after Kindt assaulted and threatened the victim and one of her daughters in late December 2024.
During that earlier incident, the defendant was arrested after he shoved Hagen into shelving, doors and walls, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.
The since-convicted man previously threatened to shoot his eventual victim and said, "I will deck you, I will f—ing end you."
Then, after he bonded out, Kindt contacted Hagen through an intermediary on Jan. 4, 2025. The intermediary forwarded texts from Kindt that said he had something "important" to tell her. The man discussed how he never turned the woman in for "child neglect and SNAP benefit fraud." Kindt said Hagen could make the charges "go away if she wanted to," the affidavit said. Hagen showed the messages to police who then arrested him.
The defendant posted $75,000 bond on Feb. 7, 2025.
Hagen was shot and killed the next day.
David Harris contributed to this report.