MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A high-profile murder conviction in Minneapolis has been overturned on appeal after a judge finds the suspect’s trial was unfair.

Drew McGinley was shot and killed in June 2021 outside the Elks Club in North Minneapolis after an unrelated vigil. Last week, an appellate court judge ruled that Deandre Turner, who was convicted of the killing and sentenced to 27 years, was deprived of a fair trial.

What was the ruling?

Appellate Judge Cochran overturned the conviction, citing evidentiary errors and prosecutorial misconduct. The decision noted that the state’s case was weak, with no forensic evidence presented—no gun, no DNA, and reliance on grainy surveillance footage. Additionally, the state improperly used an out-of-court statement where its sole witness identified the shooter at the suggestion of a police sergeant. In court, that witness denied knowing who fired the fatal shot.

Court documents say other prosecutorial errors included:

• Attorneys referring to witnesses who did not testify.
• Claiming Turner was “drunk and probably high” without proof
• Insinuating that Turner was in a gang without proof.

Context

McGinley was a respected community member who ran a T-shirt printing business and volunteered as a youth coach and mentor. He was killed after a confrontation with a former gang member.

McGinley’s death was devastating for the community.

Keith Cook, who played for McGinley, described him as a father figure, saying, “He was there for me, like for football, basketball, and my life, school.”

The case drew significant attention because it all started with an altercation between McGinley and Sharif Willis, a former gang leader turned peace activist. Willis spoke with FOX 9 during the trial, refusing to comment directly on the case, but saying: “We got to put some of these guns down, got to stop killing each other. It’s senseless, it’s useless, everybody’s a victim in this.”

What’s next?

Turner remains in prison for now.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has 30 days to appeal the appellate court’s decision or decide to re-try the case.

The office stated it is reviewing the case: “The Court of Appeals opinion is concerning, and we are in the process of reviewing the transcript before making a decision.”