A man who was 16 when he was accused of shooting his victim to death in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood nearly two years ago has pleaded guilty days before his jury trial was set to begin.
Man who was 16 when he shot victim pleads guilty to St. Paul murder days before jury trial
Daeshon Tucker was charged with killing a 24-year-old nearly two years ago.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 10, 2024 at 5:27PM
Daeshon Lee Tucker, 18, pleaded guilty on Oct. 3 to second-degree unintentional murder in the killing of Marcus Darnell Miller, 24, who was shot dead in October 2022. Tucker was also charged with second-degree intentional murder, but that charge could be dismissed in lieu of a 16½-year sentence as part of his plea.
Judge Sophia Vuelo will sentence Tucker on Nov. 18.
Attorneys were prepared for an Oct. 7 jury trial that would have featured body worn camera footage, evidence from Tucker’s social media, and testimony from 75 witnesses.
Court documents say Miller was getting drinks with his girlfriend on Oct. 11, 2022, when Tucker and another man with face masks and handguns drove over a sidewalk to cut the couple off. Miller’s girlfriend fled behind his SUV and recorded the incident, telling officers that Tucker and the driver searched Miller’s pockets and told him he owed people money.
Miller fled but Tucker and the driver fired, striking Miller, who collapsed near his vehicle. Tucker and the driver then fled, but Tucker was arrested and charged weeks later after a palm print and surveillance footage tied him to the crime. Comments on the then-teen’s social media pages also suggested that he killed Miller, with one post made days after the murder reading, “He tried ta run and he tripped,” followed by a ninja assassin emoji.
“This description is consistent with Miller’s movements as he tried to escape from the shooters,” charging documents said. “Officers commented that they did not think the murder was supposed to happen that way, to which Tucker replied, ‘it wasn’t supposed to happen at all.’”
An arrest and charges have not been announced for the driver. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner confirmed that Miller died from blood loss caused by a gunshot wound to his back.
Terri Lehr, who has been deputy city attorney for four years, replaces Jessica Fralich, who was appointed to the bench by Gov. Tim Walz earlier this week.
