Man calls 911 to report killing his wife

BLAINE, Minn. — A Minnesota man is in custody after police say he admitted to killing his wife.

His next-door neighbor, who was close to the family, says it's a senseless tragedy. "We can't imagine having better neighbors," Tim Magnuson told WCCO.

Living next door to each other for nearly 10 years, Magnuson and his family were more friends than neighbors with the Jansen's. "When we built fences in the backyard, we put in a gate between the two yards," said Magnuson.

The two families shared more than just a fence, spending lots of time swimming in the pool together and sharing laughs.

Late Friday night, that picture of the idyllic neighborhood was shattered. "It's hard to process that depth of grief and tragedy," said Magnuson.

Outside the Jansen home, piled up boxes and a note from the sheriff's office are grim reminders of what took place.

Blaine police say just before 10 p.m. on Friday, Matthew Jansen called 911 and told authorities he had killed his wife, Mary Jo. She was found dead inside their home. The couple had been married for 23 years and had two children.

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As he tries to make sense of this tragedy, Magnuson says he will remember Mary as a devoted mother and is praying for her two children. "She was just a great mom, had a special friendship with her daughter especially and loved her kids," said Magnuson. "It seems senseless and tragic on a lot of levels."

Jansen has not been formally charged at this point. Mary's cause of death has not been determined. That information is expected after the medical examiner has completed an autopsy.

CNN/WCCO