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.

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.