Derrick Thompson faces new murder charges in crash that killed 5 young women

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Derrick Thompson is facing new murder charges in connection to the crash that killed five women in Minneapolis in June 2023. 

Thompson is accused of killing five women after driving 95 mph on Interstate 35W, exiting onto Lake Street in Minneapolis, running a red light, and crashing into their car. 

The women were aged 17 to 20 and identified as, Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, Sahra Liban Gesaade, Sagal Burhaan Hersi, Siham Adan Odhowa, and Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali.

Thompson was initially charged with 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide but is now facing an additional five counts of third-degree murder, according to a press release from the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. 

New photos

A court filing on Monday included new photos of Thompson before and after the crash in June 2023.

The photos were included in a federal trial brief filed before Thompson's federal trial next month.

Background

According to charges, on June 16, 2023, at approximately 10:09 p.m., a Minnesota State Trooper was stationed at the bus stop on I-35W North at 46th Street in Minneapolis, when they observed a black Cadillac Escalade SUV traveling north driving at 95 mph in a 55 mph zone, while also "weaving in and out of traffic lanes in a reckless manner."

READ MORE: Derrick Thompson charged: Fatal crash in Minneapolis leads to 10 vehicular homicide charges

The trooper attempted to catch up with the Cadillac Escalade, but prior to attempting to initiate a traffic stop, the black Cadillac Escalade abruptly exited I-35W at the Lake Street exit.

At the same time, a black Honda Civic had the green light and was traveling westbound on East Lake Street through the intersection. The driver of the Cadillac Escalade then collided with the Honda Civic on the driver's side of the vehicle in the middle of the intersection, according to charges.

Troopers say they later learned Thompson had rented the Cadillac less than a half-hour earlier at the Hertz location at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Thompson was later located at a Taco Bell sitting on a curb, and had injuries consistent with being in a car crash. He was then arrested. 

READ MORE: Prosecutors seek aggravated sentence against Derrick Thompson

What they're saying

"The senseless deaths of these five young women at the hands of Mr. Thompson has devastated their families and communities," said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in a statement. "The sad fact is that he has done this before. Just six months before this crash, Mr. Thompson was released from a California prison for fleeing police, speeding off the highway and onto city streets where he struck and severely injured a woman. His lengthy record of dangerous driving, the trail of devastation he’s left in his wake, and his conduct in this case make these more serious charges appropriate. We will continue to seek a lengthy period of incarceration to keep the community safe."

Thompson's past dangerous driving record

Thompson was previously convicted in a 2018 incident in California where he hit a pedestrian, severely hurting her and leaving her with a traumatic brain injury. 

Thompson was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2020 but was released early due to time served while awaiting trial and his participation in California’s Conservation (Fire) Camp Program, which teaches inmates how to fight wildfires. He served about four years in prison. 

Thompson moved back to Minnesota and was being supervised by the Minnesota Department of Corrections. A few months after Thompson moved back to the state, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety confirmed that his driver's license was reinstated, and it was currently active at the time of the Minneapolis crash. 

Looking into his record in Minnesota, FOX 9 learned that Thompson has a history of traffic violations and was convicted of fleeing a police officer in 2017, driving after revocation in 2018, and driving after suspension twice in 2014.

Increase in fatal crashes in Hennepin County

Since the beginning of September, there have been two fatal hit-and-runs in Hennepin County. 

The first was at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park on Sept. 1, where 56-year-old Steven Bailey plowed through a patio space at the restaurant, killing two people, injuring nine others, including four others who work at Methodist Hospital. Bailey's blood alcohol level was four times over the legal limit, with a blood-alcohol contact (BAC) of 0.325. 

Bailey is also now facing two counts of third-degree murder in relation to the crash. He was originally charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and nine counts of criminal vehicular operation, which he is still facing. 

READ MORE: Park Tavern crash: Steven Bailey now faces 2 third-degree murder charges

More recently, early Saturday morning, a 22-year-old woman was arrested after she drove her vehicle into a crowd of people in downtown Minneapolis after a physical fight. That crash killed a 16-year-old girl, left one woman in critical condition, and four others injured. 

Police say the woman, who was present during the fight, then got inside a vehicle, drove in reverse on Hennepin Avenue and then drove the wrong way on 5th Street North into the crowd of at least a dozen people. 

The woman was booked into Hennepin County Jail, and charges are pending. 

READ MORE: Minneapolis fatal hit-and-run arrest: Teen girl dead after woman drives into crowd

"Hennepin County has seen an increasing number of driving tragedies in recent months, and I urge everyone who gets behind the wheel to remember that a car can become a weapon and destroy lives in a single moment," Moriarty said in a press release about Thompson's additional charges.

What's next for Thompson? 

Thompson's next court hearing is on Nov. 4, and his jury trial is currently set for Dec. 2.