A Minnesota man is behind bars after allegedly breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home, shooting her new boyfriend eleven times, and beating her with the butt of a rifle — pausing only to tell arriving officers, “I apologize for the inconvenience.”
Joseph David Bulfer, 44, is being held at the Blue Earth County Jail, facing a sweeping set of charges, including second-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of assault, three counts of burglary, and felony possession of a firearm. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 7.
Mankato police were dispatched to a townhome on Sunday afternoon after a neighbor reported hearing what sounded like gunshots from next door. Officers arrived and detained Bulfer at the scene without incident.
Inside, they discovered a 37-year-old woman bleeding and cowering in a bathtub. In a bedroom, they found 52-year-old Joshua Robert Downey, deceased from what the complaint described as “catastrophic injuries.” An autopsy later confirmed Downey had sustained six gunshot wounds to the head and face, four to his right arm and shoulder, one to his left arm, and a graze wound to his torso.
While the woman was being treated at a hospital for a head laceration, a collapsed lung, and broken ribs, she spoke with investigators. She identified Downey as her boyfriend and said she had previously dated Bulfer before ending the relationship in December 2025. Earlier that Sunday, she told police, Bulfer had called her saying he wanted to talk. She told him she had plans — church and errands.
Despite that, the complaint says Bulfer arrived at the townhome around 1:30 p.m. while the woman and Downey were watching movies. She heard someone come through the front door, which she said was locked, followed by footsteps rushing up the stairs. Bulfer then allegedly entered the bedroom and opened fire on Downey with an AR-15.
After the shooting, Bulfer allegedly told the woman, “she did this and this was all her fault,” and forced her to look at Downey’s body. He then dragged her into the bathroom, struck her in the head with the rifle’s butt stock, and ordered her into the bathtub “so he could drain her blood.”
In a chilling detail from the complaint, Downey had managed to call 911 himself around the same time as the neighbor’s call, reporting that he had been shot. As the line stayed open, the woman picked up the phone. Dispatchers could hear Bulfer’s voice making threats, including: “you just caused [Victim 1] to die” and “Do you want me to pull the trigger?]” After being taken into custody, Bulfer reportedly expressed no remorse — only inconvenience.
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