Minneapolis, MN
Murder Conviction Thrown Out By MN Appeals Court, Calls For New Trial
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota’s Court of Appeals on Tuesday tossed out the murder conviction of a man that prosecutors said shot and killed star student and quarterback Deshaun Hill Jr., of Minneapolis.
Cody L. Fohrenkam was wrongfully detained when he made certain statements later used against him, the court argued:
“Because Fohrenkam made his incriminating statements during this period of continued detention — which the state never justified by presenting evidence explaining the basis for such conduct — Fohrenkam’s statements must be suppressed as the product of an unlawful seizure.”
The decision on Tuesday reverses a lower court ruling and calls for a new trial.
Find out what’s happening in Minneapoliswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Hill was 15 at the time and attending North High School. He was an honor roll student and starting quarterback.
Hennepin County Judge Julie Allyn sentenced Cody L. Fohrenkam to 463 months — or more than 38 years — in prison. Fohrenkam and Hill did not know each other, and the shooting was apparently random.
Find out what’s happening in Minneapoliswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
On Feb. 9, 2022, Minneapolis police were dispatched to Golden Valley Road and Penn Avenue North on a report of a shooting.
Police found Hill unresponsive, and medics immediately transported him to North Memorial Medical Center, where he died.
Video surveillance from the scene showed Fohrenkam walking on the sidewalk and possibly brushing shoulders with Hill, who was walking in the other direction, according to authorities. Video does not capture the shooting, but shows Fohrenkam fleeing the scene, investigators said.
Witnesses told police that Fohrenkam matched the description of the shooter, according to the criminal complaint.
Read Tuesday’s decision below:
Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.
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The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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