On a summer night in 2014, the life of 24-year-old Francesca Marie DeSandre was tragically cut short. A Black/African American female, Francesca was a loving mother to her daughter, Alexandra A. DeSandre. The events that led to her untimely death began at a Fourth of July party she hosted at her residence on the 2600 block of North Third Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The evening started as a celebration, with friends gathering to enjoy the holiday.
Among the guests was 24-year-old Marco Anthony Gresham. Later in the evening, Francesca, Gresham, and another woman went out in downtown Minneapolis. Upon their return to Francesca's home in the early hours of July 5, 2014, the atmosphere soured. Gresham confronted the other woman, questioning her about his alleged involvement in a homicide that had occurred in St. Paul earlier that year.
Despite the woman's denial of any knowledge of the matter, Gresham brandished a handgun and pointed it at her. When she attempted to push the gun away, he pulled her closer and shot her in the abdomen. As this unfolded, Francesca ran towards her house in an attempt to escape the escalating violence. Gresham fired at her as she fled, and she collapsed on the front steps of her home. When police arrived at the scene shortly before 5 a.m., they found Francesca unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. The other woman, though seriously injured, survived the attack.
Marco Anthony Gresham was apprehended by Minneapolis police on Tuesday, July 8, 2014. He was subsequently charged with one count of second-degree murder for the death of Francesca DeSandre and one count of attempted second-degree murder for the shooting of the other woman. In July 2015, Gresham was sentenced to more than 50 years in prison for his crimes. He received a sentence of 367 months for the murder of Francesca and a consecutive 240-month sentence for the attempted murder. During his sentencing, Gresham showed no remorse, claiming he did not shoot the women and vowing to appeal the verdict.
