Allison Lussier murder: Ex-boyfriend charged more than 2 years later

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The former boyfriend of Allison Lussier has been charged with murder more than 2.5 years after she was found dead in her Minneapolis apartment, in a case that drew intense criticism over how police handled the investigation.

Former boyfriend charged

What we know:

Charles Henry Foss, 36, faces charges of second-degree murder and stalking related to Lussier's death.

Foss is already in prison in Faribault for a conviction in an unrelated burglary case.

Dig deeper:

The complaint alleges Foss was the last person to see Lussier alive and made admissions to the killing to friends after the fact.

One person told police that Foss told them he thought he "killed that b---- this time." Another witness said they saw Foss wearing a wig. Foss explained he was worried police were looking for him because he may have beaten someone to death.

Then to a third witness, the complaint states Foss told a friend he was wanted for murder and that he had beaten his girlfriend to death and left her in her apartment.

Allison Lussier death investigation

The backstory:

Lussier was found dead in her North Loop apartment in February 2024. The medical examiner ultimately ruled she died from a subdural hematoma – bleeding between the brain and skull that can be caused by a blow to the head – that was caused by "unknown circumstances."

Her manner of death was ruled undetermined.

Local perspective:

The Minneapolis Police Department faced extreme criticism for their handling of the case. Lussier's family believed she died from domestic violence and officers failed to investigate her partner.

Then-Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara was also criticized when he indicated that Lussier's death appeared to be the result of a drug overdose. O'Hara claimed Lussier had "massive" amounts of fentanyl in her system. In media reports, a police commander also claimed definitively that Lussier's death was "not a murder."

While the medical examiner's report did note the presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine in her system but found determined the hematoma as her cause of death.

O'Hara also said the fact that Lussier's body was found until some time after her death – and had begun to decompose – made the case difficult to investigate.

Report finds failures by police

Big picture view:

An after-action review by the city auditor found several failures on the part of the Minneapolis Police Department.

O'Hara was criticized for his public statements on the case, including his claims about the drugs in Lussier's system. According to auditors, O'Hara admitted those statements were "premature" and based on inaccurate information.

O'Hara ultimately apologized to the family, both publicly and privately, for the statements he made on the case.

O'Hara also admitted he hadn't read the full medical examiner's report on Lussier's death before commenting on the case. In fact, the department never requested the full report on Lussier's death until after the city auditor's office did so for their after-action review.

At the crime scene, auditors said police never called in the crime lab to process the scene. Although auditors found that officers were following protocol, they recommended changes for processing future suspicious deaths with a history of domestic violence.

Along with failures in statements on Lussier's death and investigating the death, auditors also found officers found issues with police handling of a previous domestic assault case involving Lussier and her boyfriend.