Man Pleads Guilty After Punch Left Minneapolis Victim Fatally Injured

Oct 8

A 43-year-old man has admitted to fatally assaulting another man earlier this year in a case that began with threats outside a Minneapolis business.

According to court filings, Coby Levan Richardson pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from the Feb. 15 assault that left one man dead and another injured.

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Police were called just after noon that day to the 2500 block of Lyndale Avenue South where they found an unconscious adult male in a parking lot. The victim was transported to the hospital with severe head trauma, including a skull fracture and brain bleed. He never regained consciousness and died on Feb. 18.

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A second man at the scene told officers he was with the victim and his brother when they encountered Richardson, whom they recognized from a prior confrontation weeks earlier. The man reported Richardson threatened to kill him, then punched him in the face. Richardson then struck his friend, knocking him backward onto the pavement where he hit his head. Surveillance video from the business confirmed the account and the victim’s brother also identified Richardson as the assailant.

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Police later arrested Richardson on Feb. 19. The complaint notes his appearance matched surveillance footage and that he previously served a 10-year federal prison sentence beginning in 2009.

Richardson was originally charged with second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony, 1st degree manslaughter, threats of violence and misdemeanor assault. Court records show he agreed to plead guilty to an amended charge of 2nd degree manslaughter and will be sentenced to 80 months in prison.

He remains in custody with bail previously set at $250,000 and is awaiting sentencing.

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