Burnsville Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Killing Mother Of His Children

BURNSVILLE, MN — A Burnsville man was sentenced to life in prison Monday for fatally stabbing the mother of his children inside their home last year, according to the Dakota County Attorney's Office.

Jason Philip Filas, 49, received the sentence from Judge David Lutz in Dakota County District Court for the death of 32-year-old Danielle Grace Warren, Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena announced.

Filas pleaded guilty on Sept. 18 to one count of first-degree murder while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of domestic abuse. He was initially charged in May 2025 with second-degree intentional murder.

"No sentence can fully heal the loss and pain endured by Danielle's family, friends and loved ones, I hope this outcome will provide some measure of peace," Keena said.

According to the criminal complaint, Burnsville police were sent to the home around 9:35 a.m. on May 7, 2025, after a report of a domestic disturbance.

Officers spotted blood on the front door handle, and one officer looked through a back window and saw what appeared to be an unresponsive person and a large amount of blood.

Police forced their way inside and found Warren sitting against a couch with multiple stab wounds to her face, neck and chest, the complaint states. A bloody 12-inch kitchen knife was in a hallway between the kitchen and living room. Warren was pronounced dead at the scene.

The couple's two young children were inside the home and were not hurt, according to the complaint.

Earlier that morning, Warren called her sister and said Filas was upset after seeing a man leave the house on a home security camera, charges say. Warren told her sister she was afraid of Filas.

During a second call, Warren began screaming that he had a knife and to call 911 before the line went dead.

The sister called 911 and then called Warren's phone back. Filas answered and said Warren "should have never cheated on me," then told the sister to call 911 and hung up, according to the complaint.

A short time later, a Lakeville police officer saw Filas' vehicle traveling at a high speed and pulled it over. Filas walked aggressively toward the officer, ignored commands, and ran off on foot before officers used a Taser to arrest him, the complaint says.

A preliminary examination by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office found at least nine stab wounds to Warren's head, neck, and upper torso.

Court records cited by prosecutors at the time showed Filas had a history of domestic violence involving Warren.

He had been charged with domestic assault in March 2025 and had recently pleaded guilty to violating a domestic abuse no-contact order tied to an April 2025 offense.

If you or a loved one is a victim of domestic violence, help is available. Contact the Minnesota Day One Crisis Hotline at 1-866-223-1111 or dayoneservices.org, or call 360 Communities 24/7 at 651-452-7288.