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.

Rep. Patti Anderson (R- Dellwood), who serves as Vice Chair on the House oversight committee, spoke on the recent developments about fraud in Minnesota, including accusations that GOP members were not sharing whistleblower tips with the Department of Human Services. 

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A 24-year-old driver was arrested late Friday night after crashing into a Minnesota State Patrol squad car on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis.

State Patrol squad car hit

The backstory:

The Minnesota State Patrol said just before 10 p.m., a state trooper was responding to a two-vehicle crash on I-94 near Franklin Avenue. While on the scene, a Toyota Camry driver struck the unoccupied squad car from behind. The squad car had its emergency lights on at the time.

MnDOT traffic cameras captured the moment the Camry driver slammed into the back of the squad car. The impact pushed the squad car into what appeared to be a tow truck. The Camry came to rest in a neighboring lane, causing approaching traffic to veer to avoid the vehicles.

The State Patrol said a passenger in the Camry sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the crash. The driver, a 24-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of DWI. 

The crash remains under investigation.