Career
In the early evening of February 18, 1988, Olmsted County sheriff"s deputies discovered the bodies of Bernard (43), Paulette (42), Diane (13), and Richard Brom (11) in the Brom family home. Missing from the home were the two oldest sons, David (16) and Joe (18). The police had been notified by the administration of David"s school that students had reported hearing a "rumor" going through the school that David had informed another student that he had killed his family that morning.
All four individuals had sustained numerous gashes in the head and upper body.
Police subsequently found a blood-stained axe in the basement that forensic tests indicated was used to kill all four victims. Immediately after the discovery, the police were concerned that David may be the victim of an abduction.
She told jurors at the trial that Brom stopped her the morning of February 18, 1988 as she was going to school and convinced her to skip school with him.
"He said he hit his dad with an axe, he kept hitting his dad and his dad kept on getting up.
The girl said Brom told her he had gotten into an argument with his dad about 11:30 p.m. Brom was captured on February 19, 1988 while using a pay phone near the local post office. His case was initially referred to the juvenile court system given that his age at the time of the crimes was 16, but eventually was sent to the adult judicial system based on the severity of the crime.
As Brom"s defense claim was insanity, mental illness was a factor in the trial and much media and legal focus was placed on Minnesota"s use of the M"Naghten Rules in determining if Brom was legally insane at the time of the crime.
On October 16, 1989, Brom was convicted of first degree murder and was given 3 consecutive life sentences. He is currently housed at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Stillwater and is eligible for release in 2041.
American death metal band Macabre released a song titled "David Brom Took an Axe" on their 1989 album Gloom based on the David Brom murders.
