Latest news with #Minneapolis-St.PaulInternationalAirport
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Jury finds Derrick Thompson guilty on all charges in crash that killed 5 women
Jury finds Derrick Thompson guilty on all charges in crash that killed 5 women originally appeared on Bring Me The News. Derrick Thompson has been found guilty on all 15 charges for causing the death of five women in a horrific car crash in Minneapolis Thompson was traveling at speeds of up to 100 mph in an SUV rented from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on the evening of June 16, 2023, when he exited I-35W at Lake Street and ran a red light. He smashed into a vehicle carrying Sahra Gesaade, 20, Salma Abdikadir, 20, Sagal Hersi, 19, Siham Odhowa, 19, and Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali, 17, killing all of them. In court on Friday, a jury returned a verdict of guilty on all 15 counts – five counts of 3rd-degree murder and ten counts of criminal vehicular homicide. Thompson had claimed he wasn't behind the wheel at the time of the crash, with his defense team arguing investigators had failed to determine it was his brother, Damarco, who was at fault. Thompson, the son of former Minnesota Representative John Thompson, was allegedly was weaving in and out of traffic on I-35W shortly before exiting and running the red light at the end of the ramp. According to the Sahan Journal, the women, some of whom were related, had been together to get henna tattoos applied at Karmel Mall ahead of a friend's wedding. Their families are expected to speak following the conclusion of Friday's hearing. This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Verdict awaits after closing arguments in Derrick Thompson's trial for crash that killed 5
The crash that killed five young women in south Minneapolis nearly three years ago was not just an accident, bad luck or chance, the prosecution said Thursday in its closing argument in the trial of Derrick John Thompson. It was murder in the third degree, Hennepin County prosecutor Paige Starkey told jurors, 'because these five young women lost their lives as a direct consequence of the reckless, selfish, destructive choices of another driver.' After five days of testimony, the jury received the case at 11:30 a.m. Thursday and began deliberations to decide whether the state had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Thompson — the 29-year-old son of a former St. Paul state representative — is guilty of five counts of third-degree murder and 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide for allegedly operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner and leaving the scene of an accident. The jury had not reached a verdict as of 4:30 p.m. and was sent home for the day. They will reconvene Friday. Prosecutors say Thompson was driving 95 mph on Interstate 35W in a rented Cadillac Escalade SUV when he passed a Minnesota State Trooper, exited on Lake Street at 116 mph, and then ran a red light at Second Avenue, crashing into the victims' Honda Civic just after 10 p.m. June 16, 2023. Pronounced dead at the scene were Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, 20, of St. Louis Park; Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali, 17, of Bloomington; Sahra Liban Gesaade, 20, of Brooklyn Center; Sagal Burhaan Hersi, 19, of Minneapolis, and Siham Adan Odhowa, 19, of Minneapolis. They were returning from preparing for a friend's wedding, which was to be the next day. In September, prosecutors added the five counts of third-degree murder, which is defined in state statute as 'perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life.' 'Members of the jury, not every murder is calculated or considered,' Starkey said. 'Not every murder is directed at a particular person or people.' Tyler Bliss, Thompson's attorney, tried to cast doubt during the trial that his client was the driver, despite jurors seeing surveillance video of him renting the Escalade from Hertz at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and then driving away. Bliss suggested his older brother, Damarco Thompson, was the driver that night, pointing to evidence that his hat and a set of car keys were found inside the crashed SUV. In response, the state subpoenaed Damarco to take the stand. On Wednesday, he testified that he never drove the Escalade. He said the two of them drove a short distance from the airport, stopped and Derrick transferred some possessions from their Dodge Challenger into the Escalade, which his brother then drove away. In his closing arguments Thursday, Bliss questioned the credibility of Demarco, who he said is a 'person with one of the most strong motives to give self-serving testimony I've ever encountered in a case. Who on Earth would want to be associated with this situation?' Early on in the state's one-hour long closing argument, prosecutors reminded jurors of how Thompson acted after the crash by replaying police officer body-cam video of an interaction with Thompson. 'Do you know how long this is going to take?' he asked an officer while sitting in the back of a squad car, adding he had 'things I do wanna get done on my Friday night, you know?' Starkey went on to go through the video evidence in chronological order from that night, starting with Thompson at Hertz and the Escalade speeding past a state trooper parked under an I-35W overpass. 'Members of the jury, you make the decision,' Starkey said. 'Has his driving conduct changed? Does it appear that he's now going faster? … You can see the trooper behind him hasn't gained a lot, because at this point, he's got his foot down on the accelerator.' Video showed the trooper wasn't able to catch up or turn on the squad's emergency lights or sirens before the speeding SUV turned off the interstate and narrowly missed cars. Then, the violent collision, which sent off a large plume of smoke. 'Derrick Thompson's behavior, his series of choices that night were criminal,' Starkey said, 'because they were eminently dangerous to everyone and anyone who happened to be on the road that night.' Short video clips were replayed of Thompson crossing Lake Street and walking into a Taco Bell parking lot, where he 'makes the decision basically to try to blend in,' Starkey said. 'Why are you bleeding?' an officer asks Thompson after he's seen sitting on a parking lot curb with an injury to his face. He told officers it was an old injury, then said he had fallen at Lake Street and Fifth Avenue earlier in the night. Another video clip showed what Starkey said was Thompson 'struggling to turn and manipulate his body to even sit down in the back of the squad car.' He was taken to the hospital for treatment for a fracture on the right side of his hip, which Starkey said is 'wholly consistent' with him slamming on the brake pedal before impact. Starkey reminded jurors that the state's first witness, Kanitra Walker, Thompson's former girlfriend, testified that he had called her from the hospital and that he said he was driving. Starkey pointed out that state troopers had testified the mangled Escalade's passenger-side doors were stuck shut, casting doubt that Thompson was a passenger in the SUV. Although Starkey acknowledge that a DNA mixture found on the inside driver's door matched Derrick and Damarco, she added that brothers and family members share characteristics of DNA and also that transfer is possible with DNA. 'I want to be clear: There is no evidence in this case that more than one person was ever driving the Cadillac Escalade,' Starkey said. 'No one saw another driver, there's no video of another driver.' Over the course of at least two minutes, Thompson made the criminally reckless choices 'to drive the way he did both on and the interstate and off — and 'that is indifference to human life,' Starkey said. In the defense closing argument, Bliss said there is no evidence that Thompson knew he was being followed by the state trooper. Thompson's attorney said the driver who was 'trying to jab on that brake' showed 'regard for human life.' Ex-teacher of Hmong College Prep Academy in St. Paul sentenced for criminal sexual conduct with student 'Felt as though they were going to kill me,' Mahtomedi man beaten and robbed of casino winnings says in court Macalester alum sues over animal testing in psychology labs; college responds David French: Why Trump is mad at 'sleasebag' Leonard Leo St. Paul man sentenced to workhouse for throwing fatal 'sucker punch' outside East Side bar Driving at 'great speeds' is recklessness and not a depraved act or acting with indifference to life, Bliss said. 'This is recklessness, realization of the mistake and an inability to resolve from that mistake,' he said. 'Because of that, whoever's driving this vehicle is not guilty of any of the murder charges here.' Thompson's father, John Thompson, was a first-term lawmaker representing St. Paul's East Side when he was defeated in the DFL primary in August 2022 in the wake of a number of controversies, which included questions about his official residence following a July 2021 traffic stop in St. Paul. In November, Thompson turned down a plea offer from the Hennepin County Attorney's Office that called for a prison term between 32½ and nearly 39 years for pleading guilty to five counts of criminal vehicular homicide.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Derrick Thompson trial: More evidence he was driving speeding SUV
The Brief Derrick Thompson is charged with 15 counts of criminal Vehicular homicide and third-degree murder. Five young women died when a Cadillac Escalade rented by Thompson slammed into their car at an estimated 80 miles an hour, after reaching speeds near 100. Thompson's defense strategy is to cast doubt that prosecutors can prove he was the one driving. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis Police investigator spent hours on the stand Tuesday, presenting various videos to prove Derrick Thompson was the one driving the Cadillac Escalade that slammed into a Honda Accord and killed all five women inside. Sgt. David Ligneel showed videos from the rental car ramp at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, showing Thompson and his brother arriving in a car and both walking inside. When they leave, cameras show Derrick driving the Escalade, no one in the passenger seat, then his brother exiting right behind him driving the car. Another video, zooming in on the aftermath of the crash scene, shows no one exiting the passenger side of the Escalade. An eyewitness testified she saw Derrick emerge from the driver's door. A nurse who treated Thompson for a broken pelvis in the days after the crash testified that Derrick never mentioned anything about being a passenger in the SUV or that anyone else was even in the vehicle. Her impression from things he said is that he was driving. What we know Thompson is charged with 15 counts, three each for the five young women who died when Thompson's rented SUV slammed into them at a Lake Street intersection. The Escalade had just exited the freeway, where it was clocked at 95 miles an hour, and blew threw the red light at Lake Street. Siblings of two of the women testified on Tuesday, adding emotion to what is otherwise a very clinical, video and science heavy trial. "She brought a light to every room she walked in, she was always happy, always kind to everyone around her," said Sundus Odhowa, sister of Siham Odhowa. "And she was taken away from us way too soon." The other side A BCA forensic scientist testified about DNA evidence from the Escalade. On the driver's door was a blood sample that heavily matched Derrick, but it also came back with a slight match to Thompson's brother. This is key for the defense, who raise the possibility that Thompson's brother may have been the actual driver. But the scientist testified that the likelihood ratio of a match to Derrick was in the billions. The likelihood of a match to his brother was in the thousands. But, she conceded, his brother could not be excluded as a possible contributor to that DNA mixture. What's next The trial is expected to last a few more days, but wrap up yet this week. The prosecution has a handful of witnesses on their list they've not called yet. The defense declined to say how many witnesses they plan to call.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Have a REAL ID? If not, prepare for travel delays, MAC says.
In about a month, Minnesotans who do not have a REAL ID could face extra screening and air travel delays, the Metropolitan Airports Commission says. Beginning May 7, the REAL ID Act will be enforced nationally and the Transportation Security Administration is encouraging travelers to obtain their REAL ID or prepare for delays, according to the Airports Commission, which owns and operates Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. 'Now is the time for anyone age 18 years and older who plans to travel after May 7 to ensure they have an acceptable form of identification once REAL ID enforcement begins,' said TSA Minnesota Federal Security Director Marty Robinson, in a news release. Passed in 2005, the REAL ID Act is intended to enhance security standards for states to issue driver's licenses and ID cards that are accepted by federal agencies. Minnesota began issuing REAL IDs on Oct. 1, 2018. The current processing time for a Minnesota REAL ID driver's license or Minnesota enhanced driver's license, which is also compliant with the new REAL ID Act, is about 45 days from application, according to the release. 'We want to make sure everyone can enjoy their travel plans this summer and beyond,' said Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services Director Pong Xiong in the release. 'Minnesotans who want a REAL ID should allow enough time to have their card in hand before needing to board a plane.' As of April 1, fewer than half – 40.82% – of Minnesotans had a REAL ID, according to the DVS. To apply for a REAL ID, you must know your Social Security number and provide documentation that proves your identity, date of birth, legal U.S. presence and current Minnesota residency. Most commonly, Minnesotans provide a birth certificate, bank statement and utility bill. For a Class D REAL ID-compliant license, expect to pay $46, or $41 if you're renewing, according to the DVS. To renew to a REAL ID-compliant identification card, those 65 and older should expect to pay $27. If you decide not to get a REAL ID, you can still pass through airport security with your driver's license, passport and boarding pass, according to Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services. If you do not have a passport, you can find alternative accepted documentation at For more information on TSA airport security screening requirements, visit Passenger flight to MSP and Air Force jet diverted from potential collision at DC airport Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport upgrading snow removal equipment FBI: Hoax by two young children responsible for diverted Sun Country flight to Mexico MSP Sun Country Airlines flight diverted, no threat found Passenger from Minnesota files lawsuit after Delta crash in Toronto
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Minnesota weather: Slippery travel as spring system makes its departure
The Brief Sunday is off to a wet and gloomy start following yesterday's heavy rainfall. Freezing rain, snow and a wintry mix are all expected later in the day. Saturday was the second-rainiest March day on record at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The spring storm system is expected to dump a wintry mix throughout Minnesota. Across the metro Through sunrise, temperatures have been falling to and below the freezing mark, which is leading to freezing rain mixing with rain showers. Slippery to dangerous travel, especially on bridges and overpasses, is expected. Precipitation type will transition over to all snow showers by the late morning. Due to wet and warm surfaces, snowfall will only bring minor accumulations, especially on roadways, but slippery conditions are anticipated. North and west of the metro Snowfall rates have a chance to increase this evening from south central Minnesota into western Wisconsin. This could create times of reduced visibility and dangerous travel. Freezing rain has been reported since Saturday afternoon, with many roadways on reporting wintry precipitation leading to slick travel. A winter weather advisory remains in place through 1 p.m. for western Minnesota and 5 p.m. for central Minnesota with the continued threat of ice glazing and snowfall accumulations of 1–3 inches. This is expected to bring slippery travel concerns throughout the rest of the day. What's next By late evening, this messy spring storm will wrap up and cool, but bright conditions will be in play for the final day of March. However, another spring system could bring back travel woes from Tuesday into Wednesday, so stay tuned for updates. By the numbers Saturday was the second-rainiest March day on record for the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, with 1.53 inches of rainfall total. As the rain was picking up across the metro on Saturday afternoon, reports of icing were coming in from communities like St. Cloud to Cambridge. This event continues to bring impacts across the state today with more wintry precipitation expected as it departs. The Source This forecast is based on data from the FOX 9 weather team.
