Apple Valley Man Sentenced In Burnsville Girlfriend's Death

BURNSVILLE, MN — Uriah David Schulz, 41, of Apple Valley, pled guilty Thursday to manslaughter in connection with the death of his girlfriend, 41-year-old Elizabeth Victoria Perrault of Burnsville in 2017.

Perrault’s body was not located until April 22, 2018. Judge Tanya O’Brien sentenced Schulz to the statutory maximum of 15 years in prison. This is an aggravated upward departure of 70 months under the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines due to the concealment of the victim’s body.

Schulz has been in custody at the Dakota County jail since his arrest on Sept. 10, 2018 and will now be transferred to state prison, according to a news release.

Elizabeth Perrault disappeared around Nov. 1, 2017, authorities said. At the time of her disappearance, Uriah Schulz was living with her in her Burnsville apartment.

On Feb. 22, 2018, two friends of Perrault filed a missing person’s report with the Burnsville Police Department concerning Perrault and expressed concerns regarding statements that had been made by Schulz.

On April 22, 2018, a fisherman called 911 and reported that he found what he believed to be a dead body while fishing near the I-35W bridge in Burnsville. Officers responded and located the dead body under the bridge in a small holding pond south of the Minnesota River.

Using dental records, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner identified the body as Elizabeth Perrault. The ME determined that Perrault died by a homicide of unspecified means.

Blunt force trauma was found on the right side of Perrault’s face, with bone fractures around her eye and cheek.

The Burnsville police investigation revealed that the blanket Perrault’s body was wrapped in when found came from her Burnsville apartment. Several puncture holes, six of which tested positive for the presence of blood, were found in an examination of the robe, which was covering Perrault’s body when she was found.

A search of Perrault’s former apartment found a dark stain on and under the carpet in the master bedroom, which tested positive for blood. Also found through the use of blue luminescence was the shape of a human body on the floor of the bedroom, along with what appeared to be a footprint. When the carpet and carpet pad was removed, a large stain was found on the subflooring.

Swabs were taken of this stain for DNA analysis. Police also conducted a search of the car Schulz was driving around the time of Perrault’s disappearance.

When sprayed with chemicals used to detect the presence of blood, luminesce revealed a stain in the carpet liner of the trunk, which tested positive for blood.

Schulz initially denied doing anything to Perrault and said that she was alive the last time he saw her. However, in court, Schulz admitted that he and Perrault had been fighting, that he blacked out and found her body when he awoke.

He acknowledged wrapping her body in a blanket and that he brought her body to the area where it was found near the Minnesota River.