St. Paul, MN — A St. Paul teenager admitted his involvement in the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old man almost two years ago in the city’s Frogtown neighborhood. The defendant, 18-year-old Daeshon Lee Tucker, entered a guilty plea to second-degree unintentional murder just days ahead of his scheduled jury trial.
The incident, which claimed the life of Marcus Darnell Miller in October of 2022, was set to be examined in a trial starting October 7, where extensive evidence including body camera footage, social media content, and numerous witness testimonies were expected to be presented.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Tucker could see other charges, such as second-degree intentional murder, dismissed in exchange for a 16 1/2-year prison sentence. The sentencing by Judge Sophia Vuelo is slated for November 18.
Court records detail the chilling events leading up to the murder as Tucker and an accomplice, who remains uncharged, confronted Miller and his girlfriend while they were out getting drinks. The assailants, masked and armed, reportedly drove onto a sidewalk, blocking the couple’s path. As the precarious situation escalated, Miller’s girlfriend managed to record part of the incident on her phone before fleeing to safety.
Miller attempted to escape but was pursued by Tucker and his accomplice, resulting in him being fatally shot near his vehicle. The attackers then fled the scene. Tucker was later apprehended, with evidence including a palm print and surveillance video linking him to the crime scene, alongside incriminating social media posts that seemed to boast about the incident.
During the investigation, officers discovered comments on Tucker’s social media that appeared to taunt the victim, noting Miller’s attempt to flee and subsequent fall during the shooting. According to the charging documents, this description seemed to align with the victim’s efforts to escape his assailants.
Further complicating the narrative were statements that suggested the situation did not unfold as intended. Tucker himself hinted that the fatal outcome was not planned, muddying the waters around the case’s motivations and premeditations.
While Tucker faces sentencing next month, the case highlights ongoing issues in community safety and the impact of youth involvement in violent crimes. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner confirmed that Miller succumbed to blood loss from a gunshot wound to his back, marking yet another senseless loss of life to gun violence in St. Paul’s streets.
As the community seeks closure to this tragic event, many questions remain about intervention and prevention strategies needed to deter youth from criminal paths and to safeguard neighborhoods from similar acts of violence.