In the early morning hours of September 9, 2021, Darren Maurice Blissitt, a 59-year-old Black / African American male, was fatally shot in his Minneapolis apartment. The incident unfolded in the 2000 block of N. Emerson Avenue, where Blissitt himself made a desperate 911 call at approximately 2:45 a.m. to report he had been shot. When police and paramedics arrived, they found him with two gunshot wounds to the groin and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The tragic events began when a
man, later identified as 38-year-old Jeffrey V. Murray, sought entry into the apartment building. Murray, who was known to Blissitt, was seen throwing pebbles at a window to get a resident's attention. Another resident, who also knew Murray, reluctantly let him into the building. Once inside, Murray went to Blissitt's apartment and confronted him in his bedroom about the location of a gun. When Blissitt denied having the weapon, Murray produced his own firearm, stated he "was not playin'," and shot him. Blissitt then retrieved a gun from under his pillow and handed it to Murray, who proceeded to shoot him a second time before leaving the apartment.
An investigation quickly pointed to Murray as the primary suspect. Blissitt's fiancée, who was present during the shooting, identified Murray with "100% certainty" from a photo lineup. Murray was arrested about a month later, on October 7, initially on suspicion of illegal gun possession. During questioning, he initially denied knowing Blissitt but later admitted to being acquainted with him, though he claimed not to have seen him in weeks.
Jeffrey V. Murray was subsequently charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with Blissitt's death. His bail was set at $1 million. Ultimately, Murray was convicted of second-degree murder and illegal weapons possession. For his crimes, he was sentenced to a term of more than 35 years in prison.
