On a Thursday in March of 2014, a violent encounter behind a strip mall in Sartell, Minnesota, ended the life of 20-year-old Maurice Galvin Jr. The young man, a male from St. Cloud, was shot in the chest just before noon on March 13th. He was rushed to St. Cloud Hospital but succumbed to his injuries later that evening. The police quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act, as the victim and the person who shot him knew one another.
The day after the fatal shooting,
authorities formally charged 23-year-old Demetreus Anthony McGinnis with second-degree murder. McGinnis was an employee at the Sprint store located in the very strip mall where the altercation took place. According to a criminal complaint, McGinnis himself admitted to authorities that he had been in a confrontation and had "hurt somebody." He was taken into custody and held at the Stearns County Jail with bail set at two million dollars.
During his initial court appearance, differing accounts of the events that led to Galvin's death began to emerge. The defense argued for a significantly lower bail, claiming that McGinnis had acted in self-defense. They alleged that Galvin and another individual had come to the Sprint store with the intention of robbing McGinnis. According to this version of events, Galvin brandished a firearm, and during the ensuing struggle, the gun discharged, striking him in the chest.
However, the prosecution painted a different picture, suggesting that the meeting was related to a drug transaction. They highlighted McGinnis's prior aggravated robbery convictions, arguing that he posed a public safety risk. Following the initial charges, a grand jury indicted McGinnis on a more severe charge of first-degree murder.
Ultimately, the case went to trial. After deliberations, a jury found Demetreus Anthony McGinnis not guilty of first-degree murder. He was, however, convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and witness tampering for his role in the death of Maurice Galvin Jr.
