Man found guilty, given life sentence for murder of woman at Hastings hotel

A man has been found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in connection to the death of a woman who was found at a Hastings hotel in 2021.

Kyle Steven Williams, 35, was found guilty by a jury for the death of Kelly Jo Marie Kocurek, 36.

Williams was found guilty on all four counts of first-degree murder while committing domestic abuse, premeditated first-degree murder, intentional second-degree murder and first-degree assault.

The jury took less than day to reach their verdict following a five-day trial. Williams was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

As previously reported, on May 18, 2021, Hastings police officers responded to a medical call at a hotel where they found Kocurek unresponsive on the floor with marks around her neck and bruises on her face. Multiple cords were lying next to her body, according to authorities.

Kocurek was brought to the hospital and was in a coma until her death five days later.

During the investigation, Williams told officers that Kocurek tried to strangle herself and he had cut the cords from around her neck.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office determined, however, that her death was a homicide and that many of the injuries were not self-inflicted. She also suffered several traumatic head injuries caused by physical assault.

“Today justice was rightly served as Mr. Williams will now be held accountable for his continued acts of domestic abuse that culminated in the violent murder of Kelly,” said Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena. “While no outcome can ever fully heal the wounds of this heartbreaking incident, I hope today’s verdict brings some peace and comfort to Kelly’s family and loved ones.”

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