In the early hours of a Tuesday morning in Red Wing, Minnesota, the quiet of the city was broken by a discovery that would mark its first murder in nearly a decade. Just after midnight on April 18, 2017, police responded to a call about an unconscious man lying on a sidewalk in the 400 block of Sanderson Street. Upon their arrival, they found 27-year-old Dangelo Masterjohn, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. His death was immediately investigated as a homicide.
Friends of Masterjohn stated that he had been trying to turn his life around. He had a past that included gang ties and a conviction for aiding an offender in a 2012 murder in St. Paul, for which he served 30 days in jail. Despite this, those who knew him said he was focused on leaving that life behind, getting a job, and providing for his children. He was described as a man who was making positive strides and did not want any more trouble.
The investigation into Masterjohn's death quickly identified a person of interest. That individual was 26-year-old Charles Deonta Jones of Red Wing. Witnesses reported that Masterjohn and Jones had been at a house near the scene of the shooting earlier that night and had gotten into an argument. After Masterjohn left the house, Jones allegedly followed him, carrying two loaded guns. Moments later, a single gunshot was heard.
The arrest of Jones transpired after he led a Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy on a chase in Wisconsin following an attempted traffic stop for speeding. When his vehicle was finally stopped, Jones fled on foot into the woods with a gun in his hand. The deputy was able to apprehend and arrest him. Charles Deonta Jones was subsequently charged with two counts of second-degree murder, one count of third-degree murder, and one count of second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of Dangelo Masterjohn.
