Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (1:48)

And you're listening to Going West.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (1:50)

Hello, everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in. This episode was recommended by Sarah. So big shout out to Sarah for sending this one in. It is a very gruesome case with a shocking resolution.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (2:04)

Yes, this one is extremely gruesome. If you want to see photos from this case and all the other cases that we've covered thus far, follow us on our socials. We're on Instagram oingwestpodcast. And before we get started today, I should mention that we just covered the case of Susan Hamilton over on our bonus series. You can find that@patreon.com goingwestpodcast or you can subscribe on Apple.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (2:29)

That is easily one of the most confounding cases we have ever covered. And I'm actually kind of sad we didn't do it for a Going west episode so more people could hear it because it's. There's so like you and I have a lot of conversation throughout that case because, like, I just can't figure it out. It's one of those ones.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (2:45)

Yeah. It takes place on Valentine's Day in 2001. There's a wealthy doctor. There is some definitely some screwed up things going on within that case.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (2:56)

A weird kind of like culty situation. So check it out over on Apple podcast or on patreon.com goingwest podcast. We have like 150 bonus episodes over there. That one's almost an hour long. So they're all full length ad free cases that we're never going to cover on Going west.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (3:13)

And it's a great way to support the show.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (3:16)

Indeed. Also, I want to say he and I have been doing a ton of social videos lately in the studio. We just did one that you guys have to watch. We kind of talk about something that we forgot to mention in the Mary Schlice episode that we covered a week ago. So we also did like a little Hailey Busby video update. We do a lot of videos now over on socials, on Instagram, @goingwest podcast, TikTok.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (3:44)

Also Facebook. We've got a discussion group. So make sure that you're following us for all of the latest with Going West. And without further ado, this is episode 586 of Going West. So let's get into it.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (4:30)

In February of 1988, four members of a Minnesota family were brutally murdered in their home in the middle of a winter's night. The shocking nature of the crime stunned a quiet rural community and left investigators grappling with the sheer violence of the act, especially when they learned who the murders were committed by and what their larger plan was. These are the Brahm Axe Murders. Bernard Francis Braum, known to friends and family as Barnes. So Barn Brahm, but we are going to call him Bernard today, was born on August 13, 1946 in Anoka, Minnesota, which is a northwest suburb of Minneapolis. And just a month later, also in Minneapolis, his wife Paulette was born. Once they met and began dating later on as teens. They married young and had four kids, Joseph, David, Diane and Richard, or Rick, and it is in that order. Joseph, David, Diane, Rick. Now Bernard spent years working for IBM while Paulette stayed home to raise the children. At first right there in Minneapolis until 1984 when the family moved to Cascade Township, Minnesota, which is about an hour and a half southwest of their old home. And by the way, this is a small suburb just north of the larger city of Rochester. Again, Minnesota friends of the Brom family said that Church and their children were at the center of Bernard and Paulette's lives. And since church and community was so important to them, the two of them even led a counseling program for couples through their congregation. For many years, Paulette ran the ministry preschool, but left two years prior to her death in order to spend more time with her family. Thursday, February 18, 1988, started like any other school day for 16 year old David, who was the second of the four Brom children. the beginning of the day, David was seen at his high school having driven the family van there and parked it in the student parking lot. But despite driving over there, he didn't show up for any of his classes. Instead, he headed to Kutski park in northwest Rochester. He was then seen at a grocery store called Barlow Foods in the Barlow Plaza strip mall, also in northwest Rochester, before stopping at a Kmart and then meeting some friends at a Godfather's pizza restaurant. So he's skipping school that Thursday and going to all these other spots like a park shopping pizza. And then he stopped by an IBM credit union and withdrew $250 and quickly stopped back at the family house. And I want to mention while David had gone to school, but then not really gone to school, his other siblings did not attend school that day.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (7:49)

But when the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the Brom family home for a wellness check because multiple members of the community called in concerns, David was nowhere to be seen. The first call came in at 5:23pm that day and more than one report detailed fears that something had gone wrong at the Brom home. Deputies arrived shortly before 6pm and found the front door closed, but it was unlocked and what they found inside was straight out of a slasher movie. A scene so disturbing that many officers said well into their retirement from the force that it was the worst thing they ever saw on the job. Later, Olmsted County Deputy Michael Braley would tell the court, I had never seen so much carnage in such a small area. Entering through the door between the house and the garage, officers were met with cards and letters scattered around the first floor. Black dye stained the bathroom on the main floor and as they headed upstairs they came across the first two bodies, that of 41 year old Paulette and 14 year old daughter Diane, who were found in their pajamas clinging to each other at the top of the stairs. They had been brutally beaten and died from their wounds as well as blood loss. And the horrors continued as police searched the rest of the house and found both 41 year old Bernard and 9 year old Rick deceased in their beds. Now, based on the Onset of rigor mortis. They believed that the bodies had been there for at least 12 hours, so the murder would have been committed that morning at the latest. In the basement, atop a stack of national Geographic magazines, was a bloody axe measuring between 2 and 3ft long, which was later confirmed to have been the murder weapon for all four of these victims. Between the four victims, there were at least 56 wounds from the slashes of the axe. There were also axe cuts made into multiple doors in the house, indicating that, at least between Paulette and Diane and their attacker, a pursuit and struggle had taken place. But who could have carried out such a heinous act? And why had they wanted to?

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (10:17)

Well, detectives had actually been tipped off by schoolmates and teachers of David's that he may have been involved. And his teachers and administrators were the ones to report their suspicions in the first place. Multiple students at Lord high school, where David was a sophomore, had tipped off their teachers that David had been talking about and even bragging about what he had done. Because after briefly showing up to his school that morning, he left to run his errands in the family van and failed to attend any of his classes that day, as we know. But after meeting that group of friends for lunch at godfather's pizza, rumors began to circulate his school. And by the end of the school day, many people believed that he was telling the truth about his involvement in a crime that hadn't even been reported yet. So this is why police were receiving so many concerned calls about the Brom family, Because everybody knows about this crime before they even know it happened. Well, inside the closet of David's bedroom, deputies discovered a journal belonging to David, which clearly laid out plans for his terrifying, premeditated murder plot. After carrying out the murders late on the Evening of Wednesday, February 17, David wrote that he planned to pack a cooler with ice and food, pack a suitcase, and contact a few of his friends to see if they wanted to join him on his plan to flee Minnesota. He would bury his family to cover the evidence, pull out as much cash as he could, and then dye his hair in order to assume a new identity. Well, the following day, Thursday, February 18th, David would pack up his family's car, retrieve any friends who wanted to come along for the ride, and then flee Cascade township for good. But obviously, that's not how it went down, because he stayed locally, running some errands and shopping, and then he ended up going back home later for a brief time.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (12:29)

I wonder if he was possibly, you know, his scheme was a lot bigger than what he could actually pull off. And he had this whole plan that he was gonna leave Minnesota and he was gonna do all these things, but then after he murdered his family, he's like, hey, what do I do now?

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (12:45)

Well, yeah, you and I know after living longer than David that, you know, most things don't go to plan.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (12:52)

Yeah.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (12:52)

So he doesn't know that. He thinks, oh, I'm gonna craft this amazing scheme and it's gonna go off of that hitch because I have no life experience. So like, you know, it's giving no life experience. And it's just honestly crazy to me how quickly this felt cut and dry. I mean, even tests of the handle of the ax that was used as the murder weapon obviously revealed David's finger and palm prints, which just confirmed the suspicions of police.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (13:20)

So, like, didn't think about that. David.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (13:22)

Yeah, but also, how does he think he's going to get away with it if he's going around telling his friends and classmates and teachers are overhearing of this plan, like, what? Like you're forgetting the cardinal rule of like the secrecy of it.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (13:36)

Yeah, like, don't tell anybody that you just committed a crime. I guess. You know, it's like.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (13:41)

And even though this is 1988 and not 2026, like, did he seriously think that he was just going to use the murder weapon, keep it in the house, leave all the bodies where they passed and then they're not gonna figure out that you did it by investigating like, this is a serious crime.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (14:01)

This was not very planned. This was not very well planned. And obviously he didn't really think about all the little intricacies of the, of the crime that he was committing and how he was gonna get away with it.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (14:14)

Thus, an APB was issued for David, but by then he was mia.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (14:22)

Well, on the night of the discovery of the bodies, the only other surviving member of the Brom family massacre was 19 year old Joseph. And he was informed of the murders during his shift at Henry Wellington's restaurant, where both he and David worked. At the time. Joseph, obviously being 19, had already moved away from the family home, which may have been the only reason that he was spared. Now that evening, David was spotted by a former teacher of his at Northgate Mall in Northwest Rochester. Then at 11pm the family van was discovered at the local Methodist hospital. Deputies for the sheriff's office searched for him all night long, following tips around the community, but to no avail. David apparently spent the night at a concrete plant near the mall where he had last been seen. Just Trying to avoid police.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (15:16)

You're not gonna flee the state. A part of your big master plan?

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (15:20)

I mean, yeah, he did, he did have his family's van, so I'm not sure why he didn't just. I mean really, he only took $250 out of the bank, so it's not like he's really gonna get all that far. Later, investigators found multiple items belonging to David as well as his parents, which pointed to the fact that he was attempting to get away. These included a debit card belonging to his parents, as well as toiletries, including a comb and a toothbrush and refreshments like Candy and Mountain Dew. Oh my God. The fact that this is just so telling. The fact that this 16 year old kid is trying to flee with Candy and Mountain Dew, that just goes to show you how young this kid really is, you know, how immature in his mind he is. He's not thinking, oh, I need to take like sustainable food, let me grab the Mountain Dew.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (16:15)

Yeah, exactly. It's so true. And you know, the fact that he had their debit card proved that he was probably gonna try to steal more money from his parents later. You know, he, he definitely wanted to get away. He just wasn't.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (16:29)

Well, more of those items were also found in the van and, and basically pointed to the fact that he was trying to drive to Florida. The next morning, Friday, February 19th, at around 8:30am, they finally found David and he was apprehended and arrested inside a Rochester post office after he had been spotted using a payphone outside.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (16:53)

I just can't get over that you're still in the area. And the fact that somebody spotted him means that everybody in Rochester was on high alert looking for David. He's not even going to a small town or the next big city over. Like this is 24 plus whole hours after you committed these murders.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (17:15)

Yeah, that is probably the dumbest thing you could do is be seen out in public in the same area in which you committed those murders. Like you went to the frickin post office. Well, it seems like he knew that police were onto him because the person who called in the tip reported seeing someone matching David's description on the phone inside the payphone booth, telling someone it's too late. Now, on the way to the police station, he was told by the arresting officers that they had some questions for him, to which he responded, yeah, shoot. But after his arrival at the station, he demanded an attorney and their line of questioning was totally derailed. So then David was taken into custody without issue. Since There were so many signs pointing to his involvement. I mean, at this point, the evidence has really stacked up against him. And he calmly attended his arraignment where he was charged with four counts of first degree murder and eight counts of second degree murder.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (18:21)

Yeah, and anybody who's wondering how that is possible. So in Minnesota at the time, second degree murder had multiple legal subdivisions. So prosecutors could charge him for two counts of second degree murder each because they believed he committed second degree intentional murder and second degree felony murder. So they had two separate second degree theories and also believed each murder was committed in the first degree because they believe that he planned it as well. So he received 12 charges total and then he was placed on a psychiatric hold. Now, surprisingly, for someone who is being charged with such heinous, unimaginable offenses, the community's opinion of 16 year old David had been mostly positive up to that point. One neighbor remembered that David had often babysat for their family. And another recalled that just days prior, David had voluntarily shoveled his walkway and driveway in the midst of a blizzard.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (19:26)

Yeah, so it's not like, you know, he's punk around the goth kid, you know, and it's like, oh man, totally expected that guy that wears the trench coat to do that or whatever.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (19:36)

Yeah, he's the creepy kid.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (19:37)

No, he was just a regular freaking kid who's shoveling his neighbor's driveway and then came up with this totally insane plan.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (19:46)

Actually, that neighbor, his name was Richard, remembered, quote, he was a very pleasant fellow. He always had a smile, which really is like the scariest part that he could watch children offer acts of kindness to neighbors and also do this.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (20:02)

Yeah, it's like, you know, sometimes you really just can't judge a book by its cover because you could see somebody who looks, you know, it's this, it's the funny thing that I, I always

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (20:13)

go back to the scar.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (20:15)

No, no, no, not that I know. I was going to say. You know, someone once told me that, you know, hippies, they, they look like they're nice people, but they're, they're mean people and punks. They look like they're mean people, but they're nice people. So it's like, you look at this kid and you're like, huh? You know, he's got to be like a upstanding citizen within his community. But whatever was going on inside David, inside his mind was so clearly fucked up.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (20:41)

Yeah, truly. Truly. Well, overall, David is remembered as helpful and dependable. Like, one family on the block had him water their plants while they Were traveling, and he happily agreed to do so. So initially, many of his friends, neighbors, and peers didn't feel like he could have been responsible, Obviously, despite him bragging about having done so. It's like, oh, yeah, we thought he was kidding. Like, there's no way he actually did it. But then, of course, you think about it like, well, if that did happen and he said he did it, we're gonna believe him.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (21:15)

Well, yeah, and, you know, he's 16 years old, so a lot of 16 year olds like to say things that feel outrageous because they're trying to get attention from their friends or trying to get a reaction. So I'm sure it. I mean, if somebody came up to you right now and they were like, hey, I just murdered my whole family, you'd be like, shut up. I mean, what are you talking about?

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (21:35)

Believe them.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (21:35)

Now you would. Well, now, after hearing David's story, maybe.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (21:39)

Well, it's like that, that phrase, when people show you who they are, believe them. Yeah, it's. It's just like that. He's. He's not kidding. He really, really did this. Well, family friend Patty Price, who was very close with Diane at the time of the murders. Remember, Diane is David's sister who was brutally murdered. Patty said that she initially believed that David had fled from. From whoever had actually committed the murders and that he, too, was a victim. Even after his arrest, she said, I was positive he had been set up. He was too nice of a kid to have done that. In another interview, she said, he was like a brother to me. I mean, he was nicer than my brothers, to be honest. Which, again, just makes the intimacy and the brutality of the crime that much more unbelievable. You know, not actually unbelievable, but everybody saying, what, he was such a nice kid. He did all these nice things.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (22:42)

It's hard to believe because of how

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (22:45)

close he would have had to have gotten to them. Four victims choosing to do this. One, two, three, four times. You said, Heath, 56 strikes with the ax.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (22:58)

Exactly.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (22:59)

That's 56 times over and over that you are choosing to do this to your family.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (23:05)

I was gonna say 56 chances for you to say, hey, I should stop now. And he didn't. You know, it's like, after the first murder, I wonder what was going through his head, you know, like, am I gonna keep going with this? Am I gonna really kill all of them? And he did. And I will say, it's not like, you know, he came home with a gun and decided to just pop, pop, pop, pop. You know, this is a very Passionate crime where when you use an axe to kill someone, you know that it's gonna be horrifically brutal, slow.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (23:38)

It's also very physically taxing for you. It takes a lot of strength and effort, physical effort to do that.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (23:46)

And we also talked about how it seemed like a few of the family members probably put up a fight. So this really felt. I mean. I mean, it's just. How does somebody snap like that, you know? Well, it seems like he may have been a Jekyll and Hyde type, because others remember a very dark side to him, alleging that he had a very volatile and temperamental side that coexisted with his Persona as, like, this hard working and kind of responsible teenager. And many pointed out that he had just cut his hair into spikes with shaved sides and dyed his light locks black in what he regarded as kind of like a punk style, which is

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (24:27)

why there was black dye at the house, because this was probably like his new Persona that he was gonna take on, you know, as he escaped. This is like his. His alter ego, his disguise.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (24:41)

Now he's like this angsty teen punk killer. Well, found among his personal effects after his arrest was a stash of makeup and more hair dye, likely to continue to act as kind of this disguise while he was on the run. In interviews with his friends and peers at Lord High School, detectives built out a rather unsettling profile of David's plotting and scheming in the weeks that preceded the murders, which included stealing money from his parents. Of course, we know that he went to the bank and pulled out that $250. And also his escape in their car to Florida. Well, on top of this entire plot of his, he also had a friend in on the greater plan with him. And allegedly, when they ran out of that money that David stole from his parents, he and his friend would kill themselves. The friends had told multiple other buddies in their group about this plan, but David had a dark sense of humor, and these threats were misunderstood for, like, a joke and poor taste. So nobody was actually truly believing it. Two of his friends were interviewed by police in connection with the murder, and both claimed that they couldn't imagine that David was actually fantasizing about murdering his entire family. He told his friends that he had done just that. As word got around the school, more and more people began to wonder if David had followed through with his plan. And after making his rounds at school and running a few errands, David continued to talk about the murders with some friends from another high school. When they met for lunch at Godfather's, pizza. So he's just going around spilling all the tea here, there. He asked a girl that he had been dating casually if she wanted to go to a movie with him that night, but she declined.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (26:29)

Like hours after he murdered his family, he's asking a girl on a date.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (26:33)

Well, I wonder if he told this girl that he had murdered his family. And then he's like, hey, want to go on a date? It's like, she's like, weirdo.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (26:41)

I don't think so. But especially when he's supposed to be on the run. And how casual to do something so horrific and be able to just go to a movie the same night.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (26:51)

Well, then this girl admitted to investigators that she was scared of David and that he often joked about wanting to hurt people.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (27:16)

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Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (27:30)

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Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (27:43)

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Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (27:53)

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Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (28:02)

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Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (28:20)

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Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (28:34)

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Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (28:38)

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Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (28:53)

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Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (28:54)

Not if I get you first.

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Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (30:16)

Nope, I'm making dinner tonight.

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Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (30:19)

Oh, that's right.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (30:20)

I'll just get a salad and fries.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (30:22)

No, just the salad.

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Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (30:25)

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Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (30:27)

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Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (30:34)

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Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (30:37)

Sorry.

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Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (31:24)

Close to a thousand people gathered at the Brahms Catholic Church, the one that they attended very frequently for the memorial in which all four victims of the murders were laid to rest together. One mourner told the press, quote, they were so intelligent, so neat, it's just too bad. Psychologist Dennis Gannon was there to provide comfort to fellow students of David's who were likely dealing with many complex emotions in the aftermath of the vicious murders and subsequent arrest of one of their own, Dennis explained, teenagers are very good about bottling up rage. They keep it inside, then any little provocation can set them off. Most of them will commit suicide or run away from home. A few will kill their families. From the beginning, investigators were never quite sure why David had done what he did, aside from a possible excuse of this disagreement with Bernard on the night of the murders. According to David himself, he took the lives of his siblings not because he had a score to settle, but because he knew how traumatizing it would be for them to have their parents murdered, and he wanted to spare them further pain. And let us remember again, like you said earlier, Heath, he used an axe, not a gun. These attacks were vicious and violent and grueling. So when his friends were questioned about a possible motive, one friend tipped them off that David had supposedly been in a fight with his dad on the night that he snapped and murdered his family. A fight which had started over the music that David was listening to, which at the time had been heavy metal. Remember this is 1988.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (33:14)

Yeah, there was a lot of stuff going on at this time. Like in the, during the 80s with heavy metal, there was a lot of lawsuits against like heavy metal bands because crazy. Yeah, like Twisted Sister, Motley Crue, you know, because parents were like, this is the devil's music. These kids are. They're listening to Satan's music and they want to kill people because of like this heavy metal music. So there was actually like a lot of like trials and hearings where rock stars had to go to court and defend their music at this time.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (33:44)

That is truly unhinged with this particular fight. Like, we don't know if the music was too loud or his dad didn't approve of what kind of music he was listening to or if this conversation had happened before. Like, we, we just don't really know. Of course. We don't even know if this happened. This is just what David told friends. But David essentially in general seemed to have had enough and decided to carry out his evil plan. Paulette, Bernard and then siblings Diane and Rick were believed to have been killed between 1:30 and 3:00 clock in the morning on February 18th. Another of his friends reported that David would complain about being asked to do chores, including chopping wood in order to keep their house warm. Multiple friends also alleged that David had tipped them off about abuse taking place in the home. But I will say there was nothing to substantiate these claims. His parents had supposedly kicked Joseph out of the house two years earlier when he was about 18, which David also resented as someone who idolized his brother. But this too remained unsubstantiated. And it's possible that maybe Joseph himself just wanted to leave because he was about of age and he had a job. So I think that's something that's so fascinating about this story, is that the motive behind it feels very unclear and kind of muddied and mixed with other things. We're gonna get to the trial where David explains a little more, but it still seems lacking.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (35:20)

Yeah, it feels very surface level, in my opinion.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (35:22)

Yeah, totally.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (35:24)

Well, when Joseph Braum was interviewed, he told detectives that he and his brother worked as cooks at the neighborhood restaurant called Henry Wellington's. I mentioned them earlier and that they saw each other often and had a pretty good relationship. Joseph claimed that he had never heard from David about any abuse taking place in the home, nor had he witnessed or experienced any for himself when he lived in the house. Like, the idea of his brother wanting to murder his parents and family was just completely out of left field to him. Well, according to friends and peers of David's weight, he had a running hit list of people that he wanted to harm in addition to his family. Yeah. So he's creating lists of people that he wants to pick off, which I

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (36:09)

think shows his mental state in general, which, let's be honest, you're not going to murder your entire family because your dad doesn't like that you're playing music too loud. This is a lot deeper than that. That might be your outside reasoning, but there's a lot going on underneath if that is what you do.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (36:28)

Yeah. Well, family friend Patty Price actually wondered if maybe David had been molested by a priest at a young age and that that had been something that, you know, he was never able to properly process and receive help or counseling for. Not. Not really sure where this comes from or. Or how she suspected this. But it is interesting given the fact that apparently the family was fairly religious. But to this day, David has never willingly admitted to an exact reason, aside from saying that he was severely depressed. In letters exchanged with Patty, David allegedly admitted to being remorseful over snapping on his family and added that he misses his family and regrets what he did. On April 5, 1988, a hearing was held to determine whether David would be tried as a child or as an adult, a decision that would impact his case probably more than a guilty verdict would. And surprisingly, I guess, because of how brutal this crime was. Initially, he was set to be tried as a juvenile since, again, he was 16 years old. But this decision was eventually amended.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (37:41)

I mean, especially after hearing from the deputies who were first to respond to the scene about how horrific it was. It was determined that David should be tried as an adult because of the viciousness Well, a few of his friends who had been kind of hesitant to speak out about the situation or to speak on David's behalf, conducted interviews. On Monday, April 25, 1988. Speaking for all of David's friends, this friend and classmate said, he wants to live his life now. He wants to get better. He regrets it, but he felt he had no other choice, which is just kind of wild. This is only two months after the murders occur and he's already like telling his friends that he just probably wants to get out of jail and not have to go to prison for life. And they're saying, oh, he just, you know, now he wants to live, now he wants to get better.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (38:38)

Yeah, but that's just the, the consequences of your own actions. Like you did this to yourself.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (38:44)

Yeah, exactly. Well, in a psychiatric evaluation, David revealed to his doctor that he had attempted to take his own life in both June and September of 1987, so the year earlier. And that his depression had been compounding for multiple years. In June of 1988, while on suicide watch, David was transferred to the Oaks Treatment center, which is a juvenile psychiatric facility in Austin, Texas. David's insurance, which had been through his dad's employer, was paying out $400 a day for his care. On October 18, 1988, the court determined that David will be tried as an adult, as Heath and I just mentioned. And his defense team appealed this decision, of course. But on December 9, 1988, the Minnesota Supreme Court declined his appeal and ruled that he would officially be tried as an adult, per the defense. Hoping to mount an insanity plea, David was evaluated by a doctor and was diagnosed with severe depression. His doctor also maintained that David would likely commit another crime if given the opportunity. But this testimony had the opposite effect, that the defense had attempted to provoke and merely made for a meager excuse for David's actions. Per the Minnesota Supreme Court, on January 25, 1989, David was arraigned on 12 counts of murder and his bail was set at $500,000 bond, which he did not meet. On February 27, 1989, 17 year old David pleaded not guilty by reason of mental illness. His trial began on September 18th of that year. Now, if he was successfully convicted of first degree murder, he would receive an automatic sentence of life in prison. Had he been tried as a juvenile, he would be eligible for release on his 19th birthday within two years.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (40:56)

Yeah, I don't think the court was going to take their chances with that.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (40:59)

Yeah, that's why they're like, no, what you did was so horrific. We Gotta make sure you're tried as an adult. Thus, David Brom was found guilty on October 3, 1989. Actually, this was his 18th birthday. On October 15, he was sentenced to four life sentences with a minimum of 48 years served before becoming eligible for parole. That's how it was originally supposed to be. So he would not be able to get out until 2037, when he was about 66. And by the way, the last two life sentences would be served concurrently. His team, of course, attempted to appeal his conviction, but they were unsuccessful. Though he may have been in a depressive state, David's behavior was reported as normal while he was in custody. Definitely not clinically insane. He enjoyed talking to fellow prisoners about cars and frequently tuned into the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (42:03)

Yeah, I mean, I'm sure at some point he was feeling depressed, but the court was like, yeah, we know that you can stand trial. I mean, he's. It's not like he was, you know, letting milk cartons sit and rot and fester in the jail cell like that one fucking guy.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (42:19)

Who was that?

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (42:20)

Oh, Hadden. Clark.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (42:23)

Yes. Had it Clark. Yeah, that was a different story.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (42:25)

He was insane. Like, insane insane.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (42:28)

But I don't even think he was found guilty by reason of insanity.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (42:31)

No, he wasn't.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (42:32)

So it's like, even.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (42:33)

Yeah, if the guy who thought he was Jesus Christ and flung his shit around the walls. Yeah, if he's good, then you're definitely good.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (42:42)

Yeah, so. Very much so. David was found to be mentally stable while incarcerated. And you know how I just said that the last two life sentences would be served concurrently? While many people in the community of Rochester were very disappointed by this because they felt that the lives of his siblings, Diane and Rick, were almost treated like they were less important than the loss of their parents, but they really just hoped that he would never be released.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (43:11)

Yeah, I'm sure that's kind of the point of the whole thing, is just like, well, he's got. Probably going to be in there forever. So that's what we want.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (43:17)

At least that.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (43:19)

Yeah.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (43:19)

But by the way, in the aftermath of the trial, Joseph Brahm, who is the other surviving sibling, went on to receive two master's degrees and then worked as a college professor. You know, he's trying to make the most of his life and get past this horrific tragedy, but sadly, he actually passed away from cancer in 2016 at the age of 46, which is really

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (43:42)

just a tragedy, because the only person that was left in the Brahm family is David, and he's in Prison for the rest of his life for murdering his whole family.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (43:51)

Yeah, he's the one who gets to stay alive and he's the one who did the most horrific thing.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (43:56)

Yeah. So David spent over three decades in prison until a chance amendment to a long standing law triggered his Release. Cause in 2023, a Minnesota State law was passed that ended the sentencing of life without parole for juveniles, making him eligible for parole 14 years early. During David's hearing, he admitted to the board that he had suffered from depression as a teen, as we mentioned, for which he blamed his family. In his meeting with the parole board, which was later aired publicly, David said candidly, I've kind of spent my time the best that I can to change the things about my life that led me to the despair and the decisions that I made and the actions that I took, the crimes that I committed. I tried to change everything that I could about myself. And I believe that truly the help of staff programs, the support system I have in my life, I'm a good example of what a transformation can look like in a person's life. Through the Department of Corrections. I think that I've demonstrated consistency in that progress and in that maturing and growth. And I believe that I'm ready for parole. And here's a clip from that Zoom interview so you guys can hear exactly what he sounds like.

David Brahm (parole hearing clip) (45:17)

I'd just like to apologize to the family and friends of Bernard, Paulette, Diane and Richard. I caused tremendous loss in their lives, incredible grief and pain and left them with confusion and answered or unanswered questions. And I apologize for that loss, for that grief, for the, for the murders that I committed and the effect that it had on their life. I'd also like to apologize to the courts, the court officials, the sheriffs, who just as a matter of the service that they provide to their community, that they were a witness to the crimes that I committed. I apologize for the impact that that had on their lives. And lastly to the neighborhood, to the churches we had, to the church we attended, the schools we were enrolled in, and the community of Rochester. I apologize for the ripple effects of losing an entire family in such a horrific way. And 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. My ability to process things. And I had grown to a short sighted view that I couldn't. 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. I started to believe that other people were at fault for the way I felt. And unfortunately, that fault I placed on my parents and my family because I was often more depressed at home than I was in in other areas of life now.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (47:28)

David also shared that he had been in occasional contact with his brother Joseph before his passing, as well as his grandparents and Patty Price, and that he was there to hear and validate the negative effects and fallout that his actions had on them. Sharing it's always difficult to hear how painfully you've affected someone else's life. And so that's always it was a difficult thing to hear how it wasn't. It didn't end. The effects of the crimes did not end after the funeral or after a short period of time that they continue to feel the effects of loss and grief. It was also honestly sometimes difficult to hear their acceptance of me into their lives as I struggled to go through the journey of finding a way to forgive and accept myself.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (48:14)

On January 27, 2026, exactly one month before this episode releases in a 5:2 vote, David's parole was granted. In response to his release, Sheriff Kevin Torgerson, who investigated the murders back in 1988, released his own statement that read, quote, Mr. Brahm, as we are now told, has faced a parole board and they have determined he is now eligible to move from a medium security prison and step down to a halfway house and eventually finish the remainder of his sentence on parole in public. So with that, Mr. Brahm is benefitting from leniency twice for mutilating four people. His family members, including two younger siblings, Diane and little Ricky, could be parents and very productive members of our society, but were never given the chance due to Mr. Brahm's selfish, immature 16 year old actions.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (49:18)

I mean, can't say I disagree.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (49:20)

To Mr. Brahm's credit and my understanding, he has done remarkably in the various prison settings and has reached an understanding of the seriousness of his crimes. Mr. Brahm has apologized to everyone involved and is remorseful for his actions. I cannot stop what is already in motion and I, we as the public must trust the parole board's decision and must hope Mr. Brahm is ready for this transition in his life. I am very pleased to hear that, but it will still be hard for me to accept and forget the sights and stuff smells of what I saw that Thursday evening in 1988. Very well said. I think. Well after his parole was voted upon favorably, David was officially released on July 29, 2025. And the reason that came six months before his parole was officially granted is because he was first released not on parole, but on work release. He has ascribed his release to his newfound emotional maturity and ability to lean into mental health resources sources, as well as turning to his parole officer and peer recovery specialist for support when he needs it. David was sent to a Twin Cities halfway house where he would be required to work, check in regularly with his parole officer, and wear an ankle monitor. Most recently, David was working in cabinetry, so continuing a job he had while incarcerated where he was offering construction training to men who would soon be released to the workforce. So far at work, David has been described as detail oriented and thoughtful. He will go before the parole board again in the next few months so that next steps can be determined. But what do you guys think of all this

David Brahm (parole hearing clip) (51:18)

foreign.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (51:24)

Thank you so much everybody for listening to this episode of Going West.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (51:29)

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. It's kind of a hard thing because I do believe in rehabilitation, of course, but I mean, when you look at crimes that were committed like this of such violent nature, it's really hard for you to kind of convince your brain that someone like this should be released.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (51:48)

I know. I want to be forgiving as well. And you. And I say a lot when you're a teenager, a lot of the time in many capacities, you don't know shit about shit. We say that a lot. But I know that me at 16 would not have done anything remotely close to doing that. It just seems like he grew up in a great family. And I do believe that mental illness played a big role in this. I don't think it was just like, oh, yeah, I was in a bad mood and I killed my family. And that's why there is so much under the surface to be able to do something like that not only to one person, but to four. So all I can say is that I hope that he is a better person today and wants to spend the rest of his life doing good things only.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (52:35)

Yeah. And at least at this point, he is being monitored. You know, they're, they're making sure that they know where he is at all times and all of that. That good stuff. So. Yeah. But would love to know your thoughts on today's episode. So please head on over to our socials. Give us a follow. We're on Instagram @goingwest podcast. We're also on Facebook and TikTok. Leave us a comment and let us know what you think about David Braum.

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (52:57)

Yeah, it's kind of like the sheriff said it very well. I cannot stop what is already in motion. So it's like he's kind of saying, I don't agree with this, but I hope that is what it is. Yeah, it is what it is. What can you do? So thank you guys so much. Like he said, let us know your thoughts, follow us on socials and we will see you guys on Tuesday.

Host 2 (possibly Heath from Going West) (53:17)

Alright guys, so for everybody out there

Host 1 (possibly Nate Brigetzi or a Going West host) (53:19)

in the world, don't be a stranger.

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