On the evening of April 27, 2017, 19-year-old Corey Elder, a Black/African American male, was in his apartment in Bloomington, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his girlfriend. The night took a tragic turn when a group of six individuals arrived with the intent to burglarize his home and steal drugs. The plan was reportedly orchestrated by Megan Cater, 19, and Briana Martinson, 20, who were acquainted with Elder and had previously purchased drugs from him.
They recruited four men to assist in the robbery: Maurice Verser, 33, Noah Peterson, 20, Alec Streit, 20, and Tarrance Murphy, 20.
The group met in the parking lot of the Hampshire Hill Apartments on West Old Shakopee Road to finalize their plan to "rough up" Elder and take his belongings. Cater and Martinson went to Elder's apartment door, and when his girlfriend opened it, they and two of the men, Verser and Murphy, forced their way inside. Peterson and Streit remained in a car outside. Once inside, Verser and Murphy began to physically assault and pistol-whip Elder while Cater and Martinson ransacked the apartment in search of drugs.
The violent encounter escalated in the bedroom of the apartment. As Elder continued to resist, he was dragged into the bedroom. In front of his girlfriend, Maurice Verser fired a single shot, striking Elder in the neck and head. The group then fled the scene. When police arrived at approximately 10:45 p.m., they found Elder deceased in the bedroom.
Within three days, all six suspects were apprehended by law enforcement. They were subsequently charged with multiple felonies, including second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, and second-degree assault. Maurice Verser was identified as the shooter. The investigation revealed that the motive for the deadly robbery was rooted in a dispute over drugs. In 2018, the individuals involved received prison sentences for their roles in the death of Corey Elder.
