St. Paul teen pleads guilty to murder in the random drive-by shooting death of business executive

A teenager pleaded guilty to murder Friday in the random drive-by shooting death of a business executive last year in St. Paul.

Melvin Williams, 17, of St. Paul was charged in Ramsey County District Court with second-degree murder while committing a drive-by shooting in the killing of 34-year-old Yuliya "Julia" Li on Feb. 16, 2022.

As part of a plea agreement, Williams, who was 15 at the time, also pleaded guilty to assault in a separate juvenile case.

Because Williams was certified to stand trial as an adult on the murder charge, he could be imprisoned for 32 years when sentenced Sept. 7.

Questions remain about what led Williams to shoot Li as she drove home from a grocery store.

He initially said he fired into the air as he drove behind Li's vehicle, But when evidence showed a bullet struck the woman through her headrest, Williams admitted he fired at least one shot toward her car.

Williams said he did not know Li and had no personal connection with her. He was on probation at the time, which barred him from having a firearm.

Li moved to the Twin Cities from Kazakhstan in 2007 to study at the University of Minnesota. She obtained her master's degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas and was working as a global business director at the time of her death.

She is survived by her husband, parents and younger sister. They may watch Williams sentencing in September online via Zoom, as prosecutors asked that a Russian translator be provided to interpret court proceedings for the victim's family.

Li, worked at Vadnais Heights-based H.B. Fuller Co., where she reportedly excelled as a leader in marketing. Former colleagues described Li as a passionate and creative manager with a talent for synthesizing complex information into concise, visual presentations that appealed to the multinational companies that bought H.B. Fuller's personal hygiene and other consumer products.