New murder charges against Derrick Thompson

MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The above video originally aired on August 28, 2024.

Hennepin County District Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Monday that additional charges will now be filed against a man accused of killing five women in a Minneapolis car crash in 2023.

In a press release, Moriarty said Derrick Thompson is now charged with five counts of first-degree murder in addition to the original 10 counts of involuntary manslaughter.

“When it comes to vehicular manslaughter, it's generally some form of negligence. Third-degree murder is the highest degree of negligence or recklessness,” Moriarty said.

Prosecutors say Thompson, the son of former Minnesota state Rep. John Thompson, rented a Cadillac SUV on June 16, 2023. Shortly thereafter, Thompson was caught speeding by a police officer driving 95 mph on I-35W — weaving through traffic. He exited at Lake Street, ran a red light and struck a black Honda with five passengers.

“Behind each and every one of these tragedies is the story of a person who lost their life and their loved ones who must continue to live without them,” Moriarty said.

Five young women aged 17 to 20 were killed in the crash: Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, Sahra Liban Gesaade, Sagal Burhaan Hersi, Siham Adan Odhowa and Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali.

“The senseless deaths of these five young women at the hands of Mr. Thompson have devastated their families and communities,” Moriarty said in a press release. “The sad fact is that he has done this before. Just six months before this accident, Mr. Thompson was released from a California prison for fleeing police, driving off the highway and onto city streets where he struck and seriously injured a woman. His long history of dangerous driving, the trail of devastation he left behind, and his conduct in this case make these more serious charges appropriate. We will continue to seek a lengthy prison sentence to ensure the safety of the community.”

Moriarty said her office is seeing an increase in dangerous driving behavior.

“Last year, 2023, there were 13 cases of negligent homicide in our agency. These are the cases where someone is driving and their behavior leads to the death of another person. This year we already have 16 cases,” she said.

She said they have noticed more distracted and aggressive driving behavior since the pandemic.

“We've had people driving really fast and just running a light. We've had people using Facetime, we've had people drinking too much and getting in the car. Sometimes I think if you knew who the person you killed here was, you would never have gotten into this situation,” she said.

However, she is not sure whether tougher penalties will deter people from driving recklessly.

“We've talked about it. I'm not sure if harsher punishments or punishments themselves are a deterrent to this behavior. I tend to think that education about it is really important,” she said.

Moriarty said there are so many options other than drunk driving. She wants people to have a plan before leaving their home for a night. If your friend is too drunk to drive, Moriarty wants to encourage his friends to take their keys away.

Additionally, Thompson is facing federal charges related to the crash. Thompson was allegedly found with fentanyl and a loaded gun in the Escalade. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.