You stood me up for our first date.  So I must stab you repeatedly at the Pizza Ranch of Death!

2016-M-326         Darek Jon Nelson, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.

THE BACKGROUND:  Nelson and Vinessa Lozano were co-workers at the Pizza Ranch in Montevideo.  Nelson had unrequited feelings for Lozano.  He grew angry when she said she would visit him at his apartment but did not appear.

On January 13, 2012, police responded to a report of an on-going stabbing in the parking lot of the Pizza Ranch.  An officer saw Nelson stab Lozano a final time before Nelson surrendered.  Before she died, Lozano said that Nelson had stabbed her multiple times.

Nelson pleaded guilty to first-degree premeditated murder. Nelson was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release.

Nelson filed a petition for post-conviction relief asking to withdraw his guilty plea. Following an evidentiary hearing, the post-conviction court denied Nelson’s petition, concluding that his plea was intelligently, accurately, and voluntarily entered.

HELD:    The Supreme Court reviewed the extensive court record and found that Nelson had be carefully cautioned about his comments and pleas by both his defense counsel and the trial judge.  “Because Nelson failed to show that his guilty plea was not intelligent, accurate, or voluntary, the post-conviction court properly denied the petition for post-conviction relief.”

Lillehaug (Gildea, Anderson, Dietzen, Stras, and Hudson)

Took No Part:  Chutich

               [CRIME] [MURDER] [PREMEDITATED] [FIRST=DEGREE] [SEX]

Date: June 22, 2016