"The demon jumped into me, so I had to shoot my robbery victim as I walked away with his wallet."

2017-M-352            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Montrell Maurice Webster, Appellant.

BACKGROUND:  On September 21, 2014 Webster and Blackwell were driving the streets of northeast Minneapolis, smoking marijuana and feeling “money hungry” at 6:15 a.m.   They saw Eulalio Gonzalez-Sanchez engrossed as he walked and texted.   Leaving Blackwell at the wheel of the car,

Webster ordered Gonzalez-Sanchez to lie on the sidewalk, searched and discarded his wallet, and started back to the car.  Webster testified that he had walked about 5 feet away when suddenly, “something . . . forced [him] to stop” and “a demon jumped into [him]”—in other words, “something like a spirit came through [his] body.” Webster then turned and shot Gonzalez-Sanchez three times.

The evidence mounted quickly.  At 6:30, two witnesses hear three shots and saw a body on the sidewalk.   A video camera on the corner caught Blackwell’s car pulling away.  When police later pulled over Blackwell driving alone, they found the murder weapon.  Blackwell's cell phone history placed him at the murder scene at the time of the murder.  Blackwell directed police to Webster.  Webster confessed. 

Webster pleaded not guilty and demanded a jury trial.  Webster recanted his confession.  The jury found Webster guilty, and the district court sentenced him to life imprisonment with the possibility of release after 30 years.

HELD:  On this direct appeal, the Supreme Court affirmed Webster’s conviction and sentence.

The State presented evidence sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that appellant killed the victim while attempting to commit an aggravated robbery.

The district court did not commit plain error in instructing the jury on the requirements of first-degree felony murder. Affirmed.

McKeig (Gildea, Anderson, Stras, Lillehaug, Hudson, and Chutich)

Date: May 10, 2017

[CRIME] [MURDER] [PREMEDITATED] [FIRST-DEGREE] [ROBBERY] [DRUGS]

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Demographic Information**

MNDOC Offender ID:

249345

Name:

Montrell Maurice Webster

Birth Date:

11/14/1996

Current Status:

Incarcerated as of 03/03/2016. Currently at MCF Rush City.

Sentence Date:

03/02/2016

Anticipated Release Date:

Life - Contact co-records.doc@state.mn.us for release information.

Expiration Date:

Life

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