A Sauk Rapids man has been sentenced to more than 27 in prison for fatally strangling a woman he met at a bar.

On Tuesday, Christopher Lee Neal, 46, of Sauk Rapids was sentenced to 326 months in prison for the Aug. 12, 2024 murder of 38-year-old Victoria Gamble.

Neal previously entered a Norgaard plea for second-degree murder in connection with the case, meaning he claims he does not recall the events but acknowledges the prosecution could prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case was prosecuted by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office.

Neal went to a Sauk Rapids bar on Aug. 11, 2024, where he met Gamble.

Security cameras showed Neal getting into Gamble’s vehicle and leaving the bar. The two were later seen on a security camera entering Gamble's apartment buildin

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