MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Lyndon Wiggins, the man convicted of plotting to kidnap and kill a Minneapolis real estate agent and mother on New Year’s Eve 2019, was sentenced to life behind bars on Monday without the possibility of parole.

Lyndon Wiggins sentenced

What we know:

In court on Monday, Wiggins faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for his role in the murder of Monique Baugh.

Before handing down that sentence, Judge Mark Kappelhoff told Wiggins he showed no regard for the lives of Baugh or her partner during the scheme that resulted in Baugh’s murder.

“Based on my view of the evidence, it’s clear to me that you are the criminal architect of a cold, calculated and cruel criminal scheme that led to the kidnaping and ultimately to the tragic, senseless and brutal murder of Ms. Baugh and the attempted murder of [her partner],” the judge said. “I guess I’ll never fully understand the full reasons behind that, but I don’t know that necessarily matters. Life is precious, but you showed no regard for the lives of Monique Baugh or [her boyfriend].”

Monique Baugh murder plot

Timeline:

Wiggins’ sentencing followed his second conviction in Baugh’s murder earlier this year.

Wiggins was originally convicted in 2021 for Baugh’s murder, but the conviction was overturned by the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2024 due to bad jury instructions during the trial.

In November, Wiggins was again convicted of aiding/abetting first-degree premeditated murder, aiding/abetting first-degree premeditated attempted murder, aiding/abetting kidnapping to commit great bodily harm, and aiding/abetting first-degree murder while committing the crime of kidnapping.

The backstory:

Wiggins was accused of being the mastermind of the plot to kill Baugh in 2019 with help from his romantic partner Elsa Segura, co-defendant Berry Davis and Cedric Berry.

The group lured Baugh to a home in Maple Grove for a fake home showing. There, Baugh was forced into a U-Haul truck and brought to an alleyway in Minneapolis where she was shot three times, execution style, at point-blank range.

Segura pleaded guilty to kidnapping in 2024 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Berry and Davis were both convicted by a jury and both sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.

Wiggins allegedly targeted Baugh because she was dating a man who Wiggins viewed as a rival drug dealer. Court records also suggest Wiggins and Baugh’s boyfriend had a falling out over a rap record label they were both involved in.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A judge has denied a motion by the defense for Lyndon Wiggins, the man who was seeking a third trial in the murder of Minneapolis real estate agent Monique Baugh.

Lyndon Wiggins files for another trial

What we know:

In November, Wiggins’ attorney Sarah Gad filed a motion for another trial, arguing the previous trial proceedings amounted to “a cumulative due-process violation,” which can only be remedied with a new trial. Gad listed several issues during the trial, including emotional outbursts from Baugh’s mother in the jury’s presence.

However, Judge Mark Kappelhoff denied the motions. In his ruling, the judge found that there weren’t any repeated emotional outbursts by Baugh’s mother, only a single instance when Baugh’s mother gasped upon seeing an image of her daughter’s body in court. After that gasp, the court directed the state to take steps to prevent further disruptions and the judge could not recall any other issues while jurors were present.

Fake quotes in motion

What they’re saying:

The judge also points out ten purported quotes from cited legal opinions that, in reality, do not appear to exist in the actual texts.

“Whatever the underlying genesis of these quotations, the submission of a brief with such an extraordinary number of nonexistent quotations undermines the weight of Wiggins’ brief and actual legal support for Wiggins’ arguments seeking a new trial,” the judge writes.

What’s next:

Wiggins is set to be sentenced on Monday for the murder. Wiggins faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Monique Baugh murder

Big picture view:

Prosecutors accused Wiggins of being the mastermind behind the plot to kidnap and murder real estate agent Monique Baugh on New Year’s Eve 2019. Wiggins, working with his romantic partner Elsa Segura, co-defendant Berry Davis, and Cedric Berry.

Segura pleaded guilty to kidnapping in 2024 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Berry and Davis were both convicted by a jury of aiding and abetting first-degree premeditated murder, aiding and abetting first-degree premeditated attempted murder, aiding and abetting kidnapping, and aiding and abetting first-degree murder while committing kidnapping. They were both sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.

The backstory:

Police say the group lured Baugh to her death under the guise of a house showing in Maple Grove. She was then forced into the back of a U-Haul truck, shot and dumped in an alley in Minneapolis.

Police say Wiggins targeted Baugh because she was supposedly dating a rival drug dealer.

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