Current:Home > MarketsProsecutors and victim’s family call for the release of a Minnesota man convicted of murder in 2009-LoTradeCoin
Prosecutors and victim’s family call for the release of a Minnesota man convicted of murder in 2009
View Date:2024-12-23 19:22:18
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The local prosecutor and family of the victim are calling for a man’s murder conviction to be vacated after a review by the Minnesota attorney general concluded he’s innocent.
Jurors in 2009 found Edgar Barrientos-Quintana guilty of killing 18-year-old Jesse Mickelson in a drive-by shooting. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
But after a three-year investigation, Attorney General Keith Ellison’s Conviction Review Unit in August released a damning report of Minneapolis police’s original investigation that also cited evidence supporting Barrientos-Quintana’s alibi.
Barrientos-Quintana last month asked a judge to vacate his conviction based on the report. On Monday, the Hennepin County attorney and Mickelson’s sisters said they support his release.
“It’s been 16 years, but I would rather have no conviction than the wrong conviction,” Mickelson’s sister Tina Rosebear said at a news conference.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said she will dismiss charges against Barrientos-Quintana if the judge vacates his conviction.
Security footage placed Barrientos-Quintana at a grocery story shortly before the shooting, and the attorney general’s office pointed to phone records not presented at trial that placed him at his girlfriend’s suburban apartment shortly after the shooting. The Conviction Review Unit determined that he could not have traveled to and from the crime scene in that time.
The reviewers also cast blame on police, who showed an old photo of Barrientos-Quintana with a shaved head to eyewitnesses who had described the suspect as being bald. Security footage showed Barrientos-Quintana had short, dark hair at the time of the shooting.
“Unfortunately, after Mr. Barrientos became a suspect in the shooting, the state’s investigation failed to seriously consider and rule out plausible alternative suspects,” a news release from the attorney general said.
Minneapolis police do not support Barrientos-Quintana’s bid for freedom.
Chief Brian O’Hara in a statement said he’s worried Barrientos-Quintana “will be set free based only on a reinterpretation of old evidence rather than the existence of any new facts.”
“I am confident our investigators acted with the utmost integrity and professionalism and followed all the evidence available to them using investigative best practices,” O’Hara said.
veryGood! (525)
Related
- Best fits for Corbin Burnes: 6 teams that could match up with Cy Young winner
- Colorado university mourns loss of two people found fatally shot in dorm; investigation ongoing
- A suspended Pennsylvania judge charged with shooting her ex-boyfriend as he slept
- ¡Ay, Caramba! Here’s the Ultimate Simpsons Gift Guide
- A crowd of strangers brought 613 cakes and then set out to eat them
- How a Northwest tribe is escaping a rising ocean
- Panarin rallies Rangers to 6-5 win over Islanders in outdoor game at MetLife Stadium
- In Arizona, an aging population but who will provide care? Immigrants will play a big role
- Jeep slashes 2025 Grand Cherokee prices
- Simu Liu Reveals the Secret to the People’s Choice Awards—and Yes, It’s Ozempic
Ranking
- Donna Kelce Includes Sweet Nod to Taylor Swift During Today Appearance With Craig Melvin
- How a Northwest tribe is escaping a rising ocean
- Take a Look at the Original Brat Pack Then and Now, Nearly 40 Years After The Breakfast Club
- In Arizona, an aging population but who will provide care? Immigrants will play a big role
- Katherine Schwarzenegger Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby No. 3 With Chris Pratt
- Prince William Attends 2024 BAFTA Film Awards Solo Amid Kate Middleton's Recovery
- Jennifer Aniston Deserves a Trophy for Sticking to Her Signature Style at the 2024 People's Choice Awards
- Celebrate Presidents Day by learning fun, interesting facts about US presidents
Recommendation
-
Kate Spade Outlet’s Early Black Friday Sale – Get a $259 Bag for $59 & More Epic Deals Starting at $25
-
Is Rooney Mara expecting her second child with Joaquin Phoenix?
-
In Arizona, an aging population but who will provide care? Immigrants will play a big role
-
2 officers, 1 first responder shot and killed at the scene of a domestic call in Minnesota
-
Bluesky has added 1 million users since the US election as people seek alternatives to X
-
South Carolina's Dawn Staley says Caitlin Clark scoring record may never be broken again
-
Inside Hilary Swank's New Life With Her Million Dollar Babies
-
'True Detective' finale reveals the forces that killed those naked, frozen scientists