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San Francisco Chronicle
11 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Minnesota man sentenced to 59 years for crash that killed 5 young women
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota man was sentenced to nearly 59 years Thursday for causing a crash that killed five young women who were out making preparations for a friend's wedding. Derrick Thompson admitted his guilt for the first time and begged for forgiveness at an emotional sentencing hearing. He said he was sorry for what he did and 'there is not a day I don't ask God why he didn't take me instead and let your beautiful angels still be here,' the Minnesota Star Tribune reported. But relatives and friends of the victims offered no forgiveness at the hearing. Instead, they attacked Thompson for waiting until his sentencing to admit his crimes and putting their families through two criminal trials. A state court jury convicted the 29-year-old from the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park of third-degree murder and vehicular homicide for the June 2023 crash that killed Salma Abdikadir, Siham Adam, Sabiriin Ali, Sahra Gesaade and Sagal Hersi. His defense claimed during the trial that Thompson was not the driver of an SUV that ran a red light and plowed into a Honda Civic. The victims, between 17 and 20 years old, were on their way home from preparations for a friend's wedding. Their deaths sparked sorrow and outrage in Minnesota's sizable Somali American community. 'I hope reality suffocates you for the rest of your life,' said Sundus Odhowa, Siham Adam's older sister. 'You should never know freedom again. You should never know peace.' Authorities say Thompson was driving a rented Cadillac Escalade SUV at more than 100 mph (160 kph) down a freeway in Minneapolis before exiting, blowing through the red light and smashing into the sedan in which the young women were riding. Minnesota inmates typically serve two-thirds of their sentences in prison and one-third on supervised release. With credit for 767 days of time already served, Thompson could go free in about 37 years. Thompson, who already had a felony record, was convicted separately in November on federal drug and firearms charges. He's still awaiting sentencing on those counts. Thompson is the son of a former Democratic state representative from St. Paul who was sharply critical of police during his one term in office.
San Francisco Chronicle
11 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
New sentencing dates set for 5 former Memphis, Tennessee, officers in Tyre Nichols case
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A judge on Thursday scheduled sentencings in December for five former Memphis police officers convicted of federal charges in the 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols, after the sentencings were delayed when the previous judge in the case surprisingly recused himself. During a hearing, U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman said the five officers would be sentenced the week of Dec. 15. However, she noted those dates could change or be canceled depending on how she rules on several sealed motions, including one for a new trial for three of the men. Lipman said she could rule on the pending motions by mid-September. U.S. District Judge Mark Norris issued a terse order on June 13 saying he was recusing himself, just days before he was supposed to sentence the officers. He offered no further explanation, and the reason for his recusal has not been made public. Lipman was added to the case the same day. Norris later recused himself from a $550 million lawsuit filed by Nichols' mother against the city of Memphis, the police chief and the officers. Lipman also took over that case. Norris had overseen the case since federal indictments were issued in September 2023. He accepted guilty pleas from two of the officers and presided over the trial for the others in October. A flurry of motions were filed under seal after the recusal, including a request by defense attorneys seeking a new trial. It was not clear if any of those filings asked for Norris to step away from the case. It is unusual for a judge to recuse themself from a case between the trial and sentencing. On Jan. 7, 2023, the officers yanked Nichols from his car, then pepper-sprayed and hit the 29-year-old Black man with a Taser. Nichols fled, and when the five officers, who also are Black, caught up with him, they punched, kicked and hit him with a police baton. Nichols called out for his mother during the beating, which took place just steps from his home. Nichols died Jan. 10, 2023. Footage of the beating captured by a police pole camera also showed the officers milling about, talking and laughing as Nichols struggled with his injuries — video that prompted intense scrutiny of police in Memphis. The beating also sparked nationwide protests and prompted renewed calls for police reform. The five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith — were fired from the police force and indicted in state and federal court. Bean, Haley and Smith were found guilty in federal court in October of obstruction of justice through witness tampering related to an attempt to cover up the beating. The officers failed to say that they or their colleagues punched and kicked Nichols and broke Memphis Police Department rules when they did not include complete and accurate statements about what type of force they used. Bean and Smith were acquitted of more serious civil rights charges by the federal jury. Haley was found guilty of violating Nichols' civil rights by causing bodily injury and showing deliberate indifference to medical needs. He was also convicted of conspiracy to tamper with witnesses. Bean, Haley and Smith were acquitted in May of all state charges, including second-degree murder. Martin and Mills pleaded guilty in federal court last year to violating Nichols' civil rights by causing death and conspiracy to witness tamper. They did not stand trial in federal court with their former colleagues. Martin and Mills also avoided the trial in state court after reaching agreements to plead guilty there. Both Martin and Mills testified in the federal trial, and Mills also took the stand in the state trial. The officers were part of a special unit The officers were part of a crime suppression team called the Scorpion Unit that was disbanded weeks after Nichols died. The team targeted illegal drugs and guns and violent offenders, and sometimes used force against unarmed people. In December, the U.S. Justice Department said a 17-month investigation showed the Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people. The investigation also found that the police department conducts unlawful stops, searches, and arrests. In May, the Trump administration announced it was retracting the findings of Justice Department civil rights investigations of police departments, including Memphis, that were issued under the Biden administration.
New York Post
11 minutes ago
- New York Post
Bryan Kohberger ignored his sobbing mom, lookalike sister after being sentenced to life
Convicted killer Bryan Kohberger largely ignored his sobbing mother and lookalike sister after he was sentenced to life in prison for the slayings of four University of Idaho students. The cold-blooded quadruple murderer had no words for his mom, Maryann Kohberger, and sister, Amanda, as he was hauled out of the courtroom in cuffs — despite the pair being the only two members of his family to show up to his sentencing Wednesday. Both women, who sat in the gallery near the defense table, were later spotted being escorted from the court by Kohberger's defense attorney, Anne Taylor. 4 Bryan Kohberger ignored his mother and sister as he was hauled away in cuffs Wednesday. AP 4 Kohberger's sister sat stone-faced, while his mother was emotional during the hourslong hearing. Getty Images Kohberger's sister — who bears a striking resemblance to the murderer and coincidentally once starred in a low-budget slasher movie — stared blankly ahead as she exited, while their mom shielded her face with sunglasses. The brief sighting came after Kohberger's mother wept at times as the loved ones of the four victims — Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin — gave crushing impact statements describing their grief during the lengthy hearing. She sobbed briefly, too, when Mogen's grandmother said her heart went out to Kohberger's family. 'My heart aches for the kids' roommates, and the families of the other victims and also the family of the perpetrator,' Mogen's grandmother, Kim Cheeley, said. At one point, Maryann could be seen 'shuddering' and 'putting her head in her hands,' The New York Times reported. 4 Kohberger's mother and other sister Melissa were at a hearing in 2023. 4 Kohberger showed no emotion as his victims' loved ones read heart-wrenching impact statements. KYLE GREEN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock And she wiped tears from her eyes with a tissue when Xana Kernodle's uncle said Kohberger 'contaminated, tainted their family name and pretty much made it a horrible, miserable thing to be ever related to him,' NBC News reported. His decision to largely ignore his relatives came as it emerged in a trove of newly released documents tied to the investigation that he would video video chat his mom 'for hours each day' after he was nabbed over the 2022 slayings. Kohberger's father didn't attend the sentencing hearing, but he was present when he pleaded guilty earlier this month. Meanwhile, his other sister, Melissa, also chose not to attend the sentencing. In the wake of his arrest, it was reported that Kohberger's two sisters had been fired from their respective jobs. Melissa was canned from her job as a mental health therapist in New Jersey, NewsNation reported at the time. His other sister, who was working as an actress, was also axed. It wasn't immediately clear, though, from what role. At one point, Amanda Kohberger had starred in a gory, low-budget 2011 horror movie, titled 'Two Days Back,' where her character was brutally stabbed, slashed and hacked to death with knives and hatchets.
