Minneapolis, MN
Court overturns murder conviction in slaying of Minneapolis youth mentor
Court overturns Minneapolis murder conviction
An appellate court has overturned the conviction of Deandre Turner in a high-profile Minneapolis murder case. Turner had been sentenced to 27 years for the 2021 killing of Drew McGinley, a youth coach, mentor, and entrepreneur.
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.”
What exactly is a data center and why are so many being proposed across Minnesota? Professor Manjeet Rege, chair of Software Engineering and Data Science and director of the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence at the University of St. Thomas, joins us to explain how these massive facilities store and process the world’s data and what the economic, environmental, and infrastructure questions are as Minnesota considers hosting more of them.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis is ranked among the American cities with the most people in financial distress nationwide, according to a recent analysis by WalletHub.
The personal finance website, which defines financial distress as having a credit account in forbearance or with deferred payments, looked at the country’s 100 largest cities without data limitations across nine metrics, including average credit score, change in bankruptcy filings year-over-year, and share of people with accounts in distress.
Minneapolis came in 44th on the list, between Stockton, California, at 43rd and Fresno, California, at 45th, according to the ranking.
Nationwide, the cities with the most people in financial distress were Chicago at No. 1, Houston at No. 2 and Las Vegas at No. 3, the ranking said.
“Getting out of the downward spiral of financial distress is no easy feat,” according to WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
“You may get temporary relief from your lenders by not having to make payments, but all the while interest will keep building up, making the debt even harder to pay off. People who find themselves in financial distress should budget carefully, cut non-essential expenses, and pursue strategies like debt consolidation or debt management to get their situation under control.”
Read more from WalletHub.
Minneapolis, MN
Whitefish council creates proclamation in solidarity with city, citizens of Minneapolis
WHITEFISH, Mont. — The Whitefish City Council in February presented and signed a proclamation expressing solidarity with the city and citizens of Minneapolis.
The proclamation states that Whitefish mourns the loss of life that occurred in Minneapolis and stands in solidarity with its residents.
It reaffirms the city’s commitment to equal treatment under the law and emphasizes that peaceful protest is a fundamental American right.
The proclamation was supported by five of the six council members.
Mayor John Muhlfeld said the action was meant to reaffirm the city’s values.
“A mayoral proclamation that is supported by five of six City Council members supporting solidarity with the city and citizens of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and reaffirming our supportive, just, equal and welcoming community,” Muhlfeld said. “I think this is somewhat overdue. Our town’s been through a lot over the years, This is more importantly to reaffirm our values as a council with our community because we care deeply about you.”
Over the last year, Whitefish has faced criticism amid rising tensions surrounding the Department of Homeland Security.
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View the full proclamation below.
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