Two years after five young women were killed instantly in a vicious car crash, a Hennepin County jury found Derrick John Thompson guilty Friday of five counts of third-degree murder and 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide for their deaths.
Thompson was brought into the courtroom by three Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies. He stood stoically throughout and walked out quietly with his hands in his pockets.
It provided vindication for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, which had aggressively pursued accountability from Thompson, 29, since the crash sent shockwaves through Minnesota and devastated the state’s Somali community in June 2023.
As family members left the courtroom many paused to hug Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Paige Starkey, who delivered closing statements on Thursday.
The jury also answered yes to every question on a special verdict form that will allow the state to seek an upward durational departure from Minnesota sentencing guidelines. Thompson will be sentenced on July 24.
The five killed were: Sabiriin Ali, 17, at left; Sahra Gesaade, 20, and Salma Abdikadir, 20, upper right; and Sagal Hersi, 19, and Siham Adam, 19. (Courtesy Dar Al-Farooq)
The five women were all between the ages of 17 and 20 and had been getting henna tattoos and hanging out in anticipation of a friend’s wedding the next day. After leaving the Karmel Mall, their Honda Civic drove through a green light at the intersection of E. Lake Street and 2nd Avenue S. in Minneapolis.
