Man convicted of murdering wife in Eden Prairie hotel room

An Eden Prairie man has been convicted of murder in the fatal shooting of his wife two years ago in an Eden Prairie hotel room.

A Hennepin County jury on Thursday found Ryan Charles Rooney, 36, guilty of first- and second-degree murder in the death of Samantha Boshey, 29, on Nov. 2, 2021.

The two had been married just a few months earlier.

Police found Boshey's body about 11 a.m. in a room at the Residence Inn on Flying Cloud after responding to staff requests for a welfare check. She had been shot in the chest.

Officers detained Rooney, who had two bags of suspected meth and a pistol holster, according to the charges. A 9-millimeter handgun was found near the bed where Boshey's body lay.

Police said Rooney had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound..

Two children, ages 1 and 2, were also in the room, which had been occupied for more than 20 days.

Rooney reportedly told police, "I don't know why I shot" his wife.

Boshey had three children, according to a GoFundMe page made after her murder. The page described her as a "kind woman with a big heart" who was "always there for her friends and family when we needed it most."

Rooney faces a mandatory life sentence with the possibility of release after 30 years. Sentencing is set for Dec. 4.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement that her "thoughts are with those affected by Mr. Rooney's actions, especially the two young children exposed to this horrific event at such an early age."