Derrick John Thompson is the Minnesota man convicted of killing five young Somali American women in a high-speed crash in south Minneapolis on June 16, 2023. He was found guilty on 15 state felony counts and three federal drug and firearms counts, and in 2025 and 2026 he was sentenced to a combined term that will keep him in prison for roughly 63 years.
What Happened on June 16, 2023
Thompson rented a black Cadillac Escalade from a Hertz counter at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport at 9:46 p.m. About 24 minutes later, Minnesota State Patrol trooper Andres Guerra clocked the Escalade at 95 mph in a 55-mph zone on Interstate 35W southbound.1Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. Criminal Complaint, State v. Derrick John Thompson Guerra tried to follow but never activated his lights or siren. The Escalade pulled away at speeds above 100 mph.2Sahan Journal. Witnesses in Derrick Thompson Trial Describe Crash
Thompson took the East Lake Street exit, ran a red light at 2nd Avenue South, and T-boned a Honda Civic. All five women inside the Civic died at the scene.3U.S. Department of Justice. Federal Jury Finds Brooklyn Park Felon Guilty Thompson fled the Escalade on foot. Officers found him a short time later in a nearby Taco Bell parking lot, where he initially denied any involvement in the crash.1Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. Criminal Complaint, State v. Derrick John Thompson
The Five Women Killed
The victims were friends and relatives who had been preparing to attend a wedding together the following day. They were Sahra Liban Gesaade, 20; Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, 20; Sagal Burhaan Hersi, 19; Siham Ada Odhowa, 19; and Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali, 17. All five were college students or recent high school graduates who volunteered at the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in Minneapolis.4Sahan Journal. Derrick Thompson Sentencing Minneapolis Car Crash Thousands attended their funeral, and the loss was felt across the Twin Cities Somali American community for years afterward.5Sahan Journal. Top 5 Public Safety Stories 2025
What Police Found in the Escalade
After obtaining a search warrant, investigators recovered a loaded Glock .40-caliber handgun, more than 2,000 fentanyl pills, 14 grams of fentanyl powder, roughly 35 grams of cocaine, about 13 MDMA pills, and a digital scale from a black leather bag on the front passenger floor. DNA testing tied Thompson to the firearm, the fentanyl powder, and the cocaine.3U.S. Department of Justice. Federal Jury Finds Brooklyn Park Felon Guilty Those discoveries triggered a separate federal prosecution that ran parallel to the state murder case.
Thompson’s Prior Record
The Minneapolis crash was not Thompson’s first high-speed hit-and-run. On September 4, 2018, in Montecito, California, Ventura police tried to stop his Chevrolet Impala and he led them on a chase along Butterfly Beach at 45 to 60 mph. He lost control on Butterfly Lane and struck a 58-year-old pedestrian, leaving her in a coma for weeks with a traumatic brain injury and permanent disabilities. She needed a year to relearn how to talk, eat, and perform daily tasks. Thompson fled on foot, and officers later found more than 17 pounds of marijuana and over $20,000 in cash in his car.6Ventura County Star. Minnesota Man Sentenced Montecito Crash Pedestrian Coma
In 2020, Thompson pleaded guilty in Santa Barbara County to three felonies: evading an officer causing injury, leaving the scene of a crash causing permanent injury, and conspiracy to possess marijuana for sale. He admitted personally inflicting the victim’s brain injury and was sentenced to eight years in state prison.7KSBY. Montecito Hit and Run Suspect Pleads Guilty Sentenced to Eight Years He was released after about three years. The Minneapolis crash came roughly five months later.8U.S. Department of Justice. Brooklyn Park Felon Sentenced to 17 Years He also carried prior convictions for fleeing police and a history of speeding, traffic violations, and driving without a valid license.4Sahan Journal. Derrick Thompson Sentencing Minneapolis Car Crash
The State Murder Trial
Thompson was originally charged with ten counts of criminal vehicular homicide. In September 2024, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty added five counts of third-degree murder, citing his “lengthy record of dangerous driving, the trail of devastation he’s left in his wake, and his conduct in this case.”9Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. Thompson Charges
The trial opened in late May 2025 at the Hennepin County Government Center before Judge Carolina Lamas. Prosecutors called about 30 witnesses over five days. The defense called none, and Thompson did not testify. Jurors saw surveillance footage tracing the Escalade from the rental counter to the collision and then showing Thompson walking toward the Taco Bell. They also heard a squad-car recording in which Thompson, shortly after his arrest, asked how long the process would take and worried about missing his Friday night plans.10Sahan Journal. Closing Arguments Derrick Thompson Trial
The central dispute was who had been behind the wheel. Defense attorney Tyler Bliss argued Thompson’s brother, Damarco Thompson, was the driver, pointing to Damarco’s hat and a set of keys found in the wreckage.11Fox 9. Derrick Thompson Trial Brother Testifies Prosecutors compelled Damarco to testify under a court order and a grant of immunity. He told the jury he was not in the Escalade and that his brother was driving; he said Derrick had grabbed the hat and keys from a Dodge Challenger before leaving alone.12Sahan Journal. Derrick Thompson Trial Minneapolis Car Crash Brother Testifies Jurors later called Damarco’s testimony “extremely helpful” and said they also weighed the brothers’ height difference against the position of the Escalade’s driver’s seat, which had been set for the taller man.13Law and Crime. Brother Helps Tip the Scales for Jurors to Convict Driver of Cadillac Escalade
On June 6, 2025, the jury convicted Thompson on all 15 counts: five of third-degree murder, five of criminal vehicular homicide for grossly negligent driving, and five of criminal vehicular homicide for leaving the scene. The jurors also identified aggravating factors supporting an enhanced sentence: Thompson’s California felony conviction, the extreme speed of the crash, and his failure to render aid.14Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. Thompson Verdict
The 704-Month State Sentence
Judge Lamas sentenced Thompson on July 24, 2025, to 704 months in prison, roughly 58 years. She rejected a defense request for concurrent terms and ordered the five third-degree murder sentences to run consecutively, saying consecutive terms were “appropriate to recognize the severity, given each of the lives that were lost in this case.”15Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Derrick Thompson Sentenced Minneapolis Crash Five Killed A presentence investigation had recommended more than 68 years, with the probation officer writing that Thompson’s continued use of the word “accident” “implies that this was an event that happened by chance. Instead this was a series of bad decisions that culminated in a tragic and avoidable fatal event.”4Sahan Journal. Derrick Thompson Sentencing Minneapolis Car Crash
At the hearing, Thompson publicly admitted for the first time to driving the Escalade. “I am truly sorry to the families of these five beautiful young women. Sorry for the heartbreak I have caused with my actions,” he said, adding, “There is not a day I don’t ask God why he didn’t take me instead and let your beautiful angels still be here.”16Star Tribune. Derrick Thompson Sentenced to 59 Years Admits to Killing Five Young Somali Women The families rejected the apology, calling it “calculated” and “lacking honesty” and expressing anger at being made to sit through two trials. “They were loved, they were cared for, and we will not let their names be forgotten,” said Sundus Ali, sister of Sabiriin Ali.17KSTP. Derrick Thompson Gets Over 58 Years for Crash That Killed 5 Women in Minneapolis
Thompson received credit for 767 days already served. Under Minnesota law, he must serve two-thirds of the sentence in prison before becoming eligible for supervised release on the remaining third.18Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. Thompson Sentencing
The Federal Case and Added Prison Time
The federal drug and firearms case went to trial in October 2024 before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan. Prosecutors introduced the evidence from the Escalade, DNA linking Thompson to the gun and drugs, and text messages and audio from his phone that referenced fentanyl deals, including a message in which he asked for 30,000 “blues,” a street term for fentanyl pills.19Sahan Journal. Derrick Thompson Federal Trial Verdict Drug Weapon Charges On October 11, 2024, the jury found him guilty of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.3U.S. Department of Justice. Federal Jury Finds Brooklyn Park Felon Guilty
On March 18, 2026, Judge Bryan sentenced Thompson to 204 months (17 years) in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. He ordered 60 months of the federal sentence to run consecutively to the 704-month state term, with the remainder concurrent.8U.S. Department of Justice. Brooklyn Park Felon Sentenced to 17 Years As of that date, no appeal had been filed in either case.20CourtListener. United States v. Thompson, 0:23-cr-00358