Thief spared prison for connection to death of man in Twin Cities hotel rendezvous

A 30-year-old man has been spared prison for his involvement with two women who allegedly arranged a sexual rendezvous with a man at a Twin Cities hotel where he overdosed and died.

Damon Sentall Smith of Minneapolis pleaded guilty last week in Hennepin County District Court to felony financial transaction card fraud in connection with the death of 42-year-old Zachary Mulder, of Maple Grove, in September at the Cambria Suites in Maple Grove.

Judge Hilary Caligiuri set aside a 2⅓-year sentence that would have put him in prison for roughly 1½ years and chose instead to impose a six-month jail term.

Marquesha Simone Lindsey-Mullins, 29, of St. Paul, stands charged with third-degree murder and felony theft. She remains jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail ahead of a July 14 court date. Co-defendant Aashion Aireal Leney Goldsby, 27, of Brooklyn Park, was charged by summons with theft and is due in court on Monday.

Mulder’s death occurred two weeks after his wife gave birth to a girl, according to an online fundraising campaign started on behalf of his family.

According to the charges and a related court document:

Police responding to a request for a welfare check on Sept. 18 went to a Cambria Suites room, where they found Mulder dead.

Police learned through interviews with hotel staff and from video surveillance that Mulder went to the bar there late on Sept. 17. He had two drinks and appeared engaged with his phone most of the time.

Shortly after 1:20 a.m., Mulder and Lindsey-Mullins and Goldsby entered his hotel room. The women left about 25 minutes later and soon departed in a vehicle.

After her arrest in January, Goldsby told police that neither she nor Lindsey-Mullins called 911 or alerted hotel staff to Mulder being in distress.

Lindsey-Mullins and Goldsby both have sexually oriented ads that list their rate as $300 per hour, the same amount Mulder withdrew.

Mulder’s wife told police that attempts were made to use her husband’s bank cards at Heritage Estate Jewelry in the Mall of America by a man later identified as Smith. She also saw transactions at other stores at the megamall that police attributed to Smith.

Police also learned Smith pawned a Gucci chain necklace and a gold ring with diamonds at Max It Pawn in Minneapolis. The jewelry appeared to match what Mulder had been wearing. The necklace fetched $700, and the ring $150.

About six days later, Lindsey-Mullins and Smith were spotted in Plymouth in a car. Smith had one of Mulder’s bank cards and an $1,800 watch. Police found in the vehicle three more of Mulder’s bank cards, a receipt from the Mall of America and suspected illicit drugs. Smith said he bought the watch and bank card from a homeless man.

Police seized Lindsey-Mullins’ phone and saw photos of Mulder’s wallet, identification and bank cards. The images were time-stamped at six minutes before Lindsey-Mullins and Goldsby left Mulder’s hotel room.

On Jan. 10, a woman came to police and recounted what she said Goldsby told her: that Lindsey-Mullins put a piece of paper to Mulder’s face and moments later he was on his back and changing colors. After trying to revive him, Lindsey-Mullins and Goldsby took off with his jewelry, money and bank cards.

Goldsby was arrested on Jan. 17. She told police she was dancing for Mulder and then went into the bathroom. Lindsey-Mullins knocked on the door and said they had to leave.