Jury Finds Derrick Thompson Guilty of Murder in Crash That Killed 5
A Hennepin County jury has found Derrick John Thompson guilty on all 15 counts in connection to a June 2023 crash in Minneapolis that killed five young women.
After two days of deliberations, the panel returned guilty verdicts for five counts of third-degree murder and ten counts of criminal vehicular homicide.
Thompson, 29, stood trial for causing the high-speed collision that claimed the lives of Sahra Gesaade, Sabiriin Ali, Salma Abdikadir, Sagal Hersi and Siham Adam.
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The crash happened late on a Friday night when Thompson, driving a rented Cadillac Escalade, exited northbound Interstate 35W at over 100 miles per hour and ran a red light at Lake Street and 2nd Avenue South. He t-boned a Honda Civic carrying the five victims, killing all of them at the scene. The women, ages 17 to 20, had spent the evening getting henna and preparing for a wedding the next day.
PREVIOUSLY: Charges Filed in Minneapolis Crash that Killed 5
Video footage, crash reconstruction and witness testimony left little doubt about what happened that night. Prosecutors from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office showed the jury traffic camera clips and police bodycam footage, including video of Thompson complaining at the scene about his Friday night being “ruined.” He had fled the crash on foot and was later found outside a nearby Taco Bell with a cut on his forehead. When officers asked about his injuries, he told them they were from a previous incident.
Thompson had rejected a plea deal last year that would have carried a 32-to-38-year sentence. He instead opted for trial, risking a much longer term. With Friday’s conviction, he now faces potential consecutive sentences for each victim, which could result in a significantly higher prison term.
Thompson is also awaiting sentencing in a separate federal case tied to the same crash. Inside the Escalade, investigators recovered a loaded Glock .40-caliber handgun with an extended magazine, over 2,000 fentanyl pills, powdered fentanyl, cocaine, MDMA, marijuana and a digital scale. He was convicted in that case last year for possession with intent to distribute, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
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The five victims were members of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center and were laid to rest at a cemetery in Burnsville days after the crash. Their deaths sent shockwaves through Minnesota’s Somali community. At the time, MPD Chief Brian O’Hara called the crash “an incredibly tragic and horrific scene.”
Thompson is the son of former DFL State Representative John Thompson, who served one term in the Minnesota Legislature. Derrick Thompson’s criminal history includes a 2018 case in California, where he pleaded guilty to fleeing police and causing a crash that injured a pedestrian. At the time, police recovered 17 pounds of marijuana and $20,000 in cash from the vehicle.
He will be sentenced on the murder charges July 24.
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