Driver convicted of killing 5 women while speeding from cops
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Derrick Thompson (KARE/YouTube).

Jurors in the Minnesota trial of a driver accused of crashing into another vehicle, resulting in the deaths of five young women, were uncertain about the defendant’s responsibility until the prosecution presented an unexpected witness: the defendant’s brother.

Derrick Thompson was charged with five counts of third-degree murder and 10 counts of vehicular homicide due to the fatal accident in 2023. After renting a Cadillac Escalade in the Minneapolis area, Thompson rapidly accelerated to 95 mph, maneuvering recklessly through traffic. Upon leaving the highway, he sped through a red light and collided with a Honda Civic, which led to the immediate death of the women inside.

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Thompson’s defense claimed it was his brother, Damarco Thompson, at the wheel of the Escalade since his sibling’s hat and car keys were found in the vehicle. Prosecutors later issued a sudden subpoena demanding the brother’s testimony. On the witness stand, Damarco asserted he wasn’t inside the Escalade with Derrick Thompson. Instead, he recounted driving his brother to the rental location for vehicle pickup and then following in his Dodge Challenger until Derrick started speeding off, as per a courtroom report from the Sahan Journal.

Damarco Thompson’s testimony was key to getting his brother convicted, juror Lucas Sundelius told local NBC affiliate KARE after the verdict.

“A lot of the questions [he answered] helped clear up the fact that they had multiple sets of keys for the Challenger,” Sundelius said. “Having him testify was extremely helpful.”

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Another key aspect of the testimony was seeing the height difference between the brothers, according to Sundelius. The defendant was much taller than his brother and jurors noted the driver’s seat in the Escalade was pulled back.

“When we saw that we were like ‘OK we think it’s him rather than his brother,”” Sundelius told the TV station.

As a result, the jury convicted Derrick Thompson on all 15 counts in the deaths of Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, Sahra Liban Gesaade, Sagal Burhaan Hersi, Siham Adan Odhowa, and Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali. The victims were between 17 and 20 years old.

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