A 28-year-old man, Derrick John Thompson, is facing five counts of third-degree murder after a high-speed crash in Minneapolis that claimed the lives of five young women in June 2023. The charges were filed last week by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and are in addition to the ten counts of vehicular homicide Thompson already faces for the fatal incident.
Thompson, the son of former Minnesota State Representative John Thompson (D), was reportedly driving at 95 mph in a 55-mph zone when the crash occurred. The victims, identified as Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, 20, Sahra Liban Gesaade, 20, Sagal Burhaan Hersi, 19, Siham Adan Odhowa, 19 and Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali, 17, died instantly when Thompson’s rented Cadillac Escalade slammed into their Honda Civic.
Thompson fled the scene on foot but was later apprehended by police. Inside the vehicle, authorities found a Glock handgun, ecstasy, cocaine and 2,000 fentanyl pills. Toxicology reports also revealed THC in Thompson’s system.
Thompson has a prior criminal record, including a previous high-speed chase in California that resulted in serious injuries to a pedestrian. Attorney Moriarty cited Thompson’s past behavior and the severity of this case in justifying the more serious third-degree murder charges.
A search of the vehicle in that incident resulted in the discovery of 18 pounds of marijuana and $20,000 in cash. Thompson had been released from prison for that offense just six months prior to the Minneapolis crash.
The elder Thompson, a controversial figure in Minnesota politics, faced several scandals during his time in office, including allegations of misconduct and domestic abuse, though he was never convicted of such charges.
In one notable incident, he claimed to have been racially profiled by police during a traffic stop in St. Paul, although it was later revealed that Thompson did not have a valid Minnesota driver’s license when he was pulled over.
The mounting scandals led to his expulsion from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) caucus in September 2021.
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