Minneapolis, MN
Woman charged with murder, arson for apartment fire that killed 2 in Minneapolis
A woman has been charged in connection with a fire that killed two people in August.
Deonna Marie Presbury, 35, faces two counts of second-degree murder and three counts of first-degree arson.
As previously reported, 59-year-old Debbie Leshelle Allen of New Richmond, Wisconsin, and 66-year-old Kerry Sims of Minneapolis were killed in the apartment fire.
According to a criminal complaint, several people reported a fire at an apartment building at 1501 11th Avenue South in Minneapolis on Aug. 13. Allen and Sims were later found deceased in the building.
Two other people were seriously injured in the fire and needed to be hospitalized.
Arson investigators found two points of origin for the fire. The first was at the rear stairway of the second floor and the other was in the second-floor hallway, originating from a pair of pink rollerblades.
Court documents state that a witness said Presbury was in the hallway of the building with her daughter and was arguing with him before the fire was set. Presbury had demanded that her belongings be returned. The witness said he gave Presbury her items, which included clothing, a bicycle and pink rollerblades.
Another witness in the apartment told police that she heard Presbury say, “I’m gonna burn this [expletive] down…You got me messed up…I’m gonna kill this [expletive].”
The witness said she smelled smoke coming from the hallway a few minutes after Presbury left with her belongings.
The first witness called Presbury on speakerphone while being interviewed by police. When he told her that the fire had killed two people and suggested she was responsible, Presbury reportedly responded, “Love will [expletive] you up anytime.”
A third witness told police that before the fire, he heard a woman arguing in the hallway and threatening to “burn this place down” if she didn’t get her stuff back.
Court documents state that motion-activated security images showed Presbury leaving the apartment with her daughter. Presbury reportedly left behind the pair of pink rollerblades determined to be the point of origin for the second fire.
Presbury and her daughter were then seen walking toward the location of the first fire’s origin, according to court documents. The two are then seen leaving — Presbury reportedly had a lit cigarette and was wearing a blue rubber glove moments before the fire.
Investigators then learned that Presbury is a person of interest in other intentional fires involving the male witness’ property and is known to carry a torch lighter with her. Arson investigators believe the fires at the apartment building could have been started with a torch lighter.
Presbury was arrested and, in an interview with investigators, denied being at the apartment building that day. Police asked again if she was at the building and she promised she wasn’t.
When shown the photos of her and her daughter getting her belongings from the man’s apartment, Presbury admitted to being at the building. She denied speaking to the man about the fire and said she heard about it from the news.
A Minneapolis man who pleaded guilty to murdering a high school student in 2022 was sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison on Monday.
It was the second time Cody Fohrenkam was sentenced for fatally shooting 15-year-old Deshaun Hill. He was convicted and sentenced to more than 38 years in prison in February 2023, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals later reversed the conviction and granted him a retrial based on illegally obtained incriminating statements.
Fohrenkam, 33, agreed to a plea deal as his second trial was set to start, pleading guilty to one count of second-degree intentional murder in exchange for Monday’s 340-month sentence. The judge presiding over the hearing gave him credit for 1,476 days already served.
Fohrenkam shot and killed Hill while Hill was walking to a bus stop just blocks from Minneapolis North High School, where Hill was a star quarterback and honor roll student.
One of Hill’s aunts said in a statement shortly before the judge sentenced Fohrenkam that her nephew was “full of life.”
“When he spoke, you listened. He had a soft spirit and a good heart,” she said. “Deshaun was an artist who, as you all know, he took his education seriously. He had dreams and goals. He worked hard to make his family proud.”
This story will be updated.
A man is now charged with murder after prosecutors say a robbery inside a Minneapolis apartment building ended in a fatal shooting.
Prosecutors say the man was on conditional release after being charged with first-degree armed carjacking for an incident in Minneapolis last September.
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The killing happened Feb. 24 inside the Abbott Apartments lounge area on the 100 block of East 18th Street, where police found an adult man dead from gunshot wounds after reports of a shooting.
Court documents state the victim and a friend went to the building to meet 20-year-old Abdirahman Khayre Khayre. A witness stated Khayre left the room several times and appeared to be stalling before three armed men entered and demanded property. The men were described as carrying two Glock-style handguns with extended magazines and an AR-style rifle. During the robbery, the suspects demanded a Louis Vuitton bag belonging to the victim. When the victim resisted, a struggle broke out. The witness stated that two guns were taken from him during the robbery.
The witness told investigators Khayre was handed one of the stolen guns and then pointed it at him, causing him to flee into the lobby. Moments later, multiple gunshots were heard. The witness returned and found the victim shot. Surveillance footage from other areas of the building reportedly corroborated key parts of the account, and the witness later identified Khayre in a photo lineup, according to the complaint.
PREVIOUSLY: Man Shot and Killed Inside Minneapolis Apartment Building
Authorities say Khayre was on conditional release at the time of the killing in a separate Hennepin County case involving a September 2025 armed carjacking.
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In that earlier case, prosecutors alleged Khayre and others confronted a woman in a garage near 19th Street and Nicollet Avenue, pointed handguns at her and forced her to give up the keys to a Dodge Challenger before fleeing in the stolen vehicle. Officers later located the vehicle and arrested multiple suspects, including Khayre, who was identified as the driver.
Court records show Khayre posted a $75,000 non-cash bond and was released under conditions requiring him to remain law-abiding, have no possession of firearms or ammunition, avoid alcohol and controlled substances and complete treatment.
Khayre is now charged with second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony and first-degree aggravated robbery. He made an initial court appearance Friday, where a judge set bail at $1 million. If convicted of second-degree felony murder, he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
The homicide investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim. Anyone with information is asked to contact Minneapolis police by emailing policetips@minneapolismn.gov or calling 612-673-5845. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online. Information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.
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