Derrick Thompson found guilty in fatal crash that killed 5 women

Derrick Thompson found guilty on all counts [RAW]

A jury found Derrick Thompson, the son of a former Minnesota lawmaker charged in a deadly Minneapolis crash that claimed the lives of five young women in June 2023, was found guilty on all 15 charges against him, including murder.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A jury found Derrick Thompson, the son of a former Minnesota lawmaker charged in a deadly Minneapolis crash that claimed the lives of five young women in June 2023, guilty on all 15 charges against, including murder.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office is expected to comment on the verdict Friday afternoon.

Victims' families speak after Derrick Thompson found guilty

The families of the five women who were killed in a crash caused by Derrick Thompson, spoke after Thompson was found guilty. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty spoke along with them.

Derrick Thompson found guilty of murder

What happened:

A jury found Thompson guilty on the 15 counts against him, including third-degree murder and criminal vehicular homicide, for the crash that claimed the lives of Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, Sahra Liban Gesaade, Sagal Burhaan Hersi, Siham Adan Odhowa, and Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali.

After the guilty plea, jurors answered a series of questions that could lead to an aggravated sentence against Thompson. Jurors answer them all "yes," so the judge could sentence Thompson above Minnesota sentencing guidelines.

A sentencing date for Thompson has been scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 24, according to court records.

Juror in Derrick Thompson trial speaks on guilty verdict [RAW]

Derrick Thompson was found guilty on all charges Friday in a 2023 crash that killed five women in Minneapolis. After the verdict was read, juror Lucas Sundelius spoke with reporters from the Hennepin County Courthouse about being on the case.

Thompson charged in deadly crash

Derrick Thompson trial: Prosecutor says victims 'never stood a chance'

Prosecutor Joseph Paquette in his opening statements said Derrick Thompson killed the five women by taking a 6,000 pound Escalade and driving at 'extreme speeds,' swerving, going close to 100 mph in a 20-mph zone, before he hit the vehicle and killed the five women in a Honda Civic. "They never stood a chance," Paquette said, noting it wasn't a crash, "it was an explosion."

The backstory:

On the night of June 16, 2023, troopers said they clocked a Cadillac Escalade driving 95 mph in a 55-mph zone along Interstate 35W in Minneapolis. Troopers said the driver was moving recklessly and quickly switching lanes. When a trooper pulled out to try to stop the driver, investigators said the driver quickly exited the highway at Lake Street before they could even activate their lights.

Shortly after, the Escalade slammed into a Honda Accord carrying the five victims. The five women, who were all between the ages of 17 and 20, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Troopers estimated the SUV was going between 77 mph and 84 mph at impact and seconds earlier, was traveling in excess of 100 mph. A trooper testified in court that it was one of the worst crashes he'd ever seen, saying it was difficult to determine how many victims there were in the sedan "due to the level of traumatic injuries to the bodies and midsections."

Despite the intense collision, troopers said Thompson was able to walk away from the Escalade after the crash. He was found by investigators in a Taco Bell parking lot, a short distance from the scene. Speaking with police at the scene, bodycam footage showed Thompson denying even being in the SUV, despite evidence he had been injured.

Derrick Thompson trial: Defense says Thompson wasn't acting with 'depraved mind'

The defense attorney for Derrick Thompson, Tyler Bliss, said in his opening statements that the state cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Thompson was the driver in the crash that killed five women, nor can they prove he committed murder.

Defense's argument

The other side:

Thompson's defense attorney argued that it was Thompson's brother Damarco – not Derrick Thompson himself – who was behind the wheel of the SUV that night when it slammed into the sedan carrying the five young women.

Evidence presented in court by the prosecution contradicted that narrative. Body camera showed a bloodied Derrick Thompson being confronted by investigators shortly after the crash at the Taco Bell.

In court, prosecutors showed videos of the crash with investigators testifying that no one saw anyone exit the passenger-side door, despite claims by the defense that the passenger door did open. In the SUV, blood on the driver's door matched Derrick Thompson but also came back with a slight match to Thompson's brother – which was key for the defense. But a scientist testified that the likelihood ratio of a match to Derrick was one in the billions. The likelihood of a match to his brother was one in the thousands.

On the final day of testimony, Thompson's brother took the stand to testify against his brother. Damarco said he had dropped his brother off at Hertz to rent the Escalade and then left in his Dodge Challenger for Woodbury.

Thompson already convicted

Big picture view:

Before this trial, Thompson had already been convicted of crimes connected to the deadly crash. In federal court, Thompson was found guilty of possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Those convictions are related to drugs and a pistol found in the Escalade following the crash. He is still awaiting sentencing in that case.

The federal case was the reason it took nearly two years for Thompson to face trial in the state case.

Separately, Thompson previously served prison time for a deadly crash in California that put a woman into a coma back in 2018. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for that crash in 2020 but was released early in January 2023 due to time served and his participation in a program that teaches inmates to fight wildfires.

Local perspective:

Thompson is the son of former Minnesota state Rep. John Thompson.

John Thompson rose to prominence as an activist for change after the killing of his friend Philando Castile. However, he ended up serving only one term in the House after facing controversy following a traffic stop in St. Paul where John Thompson was allegedly driving with a suspended license. FOX 9 later uncovered past accounts of John Thompson being accused of domestic abuse.

Crime and Public Safety Minneapolis