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Minnesota father speaks out against plea deal
Jerry Markey, the father of Steve Markey, the man killed during a carjacking in Minneapolis in 2019, spoke out on Monday against a plea agreement for a young who pled guilty in the case.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Hennepin County judge has rejected the plea deal for a man who pled guilty to his role in a deadly 2019 carjacking in Minneapolis.
Under the deal, Husayn Braveheart, who was just shy of his 16th birthday at the time of the killing, would serve probation for aiding and abetting murder in the case. If he stayed out of trouble for five years, he would avoid a nearly 22-year prison sentence. Braveheart would be under supervision for that time and required to continue rehabilitation programs.
The deal sparked outrage among the family of the victim Steve Markey. Some of those families spoke out Monday, as Braveheart was set to be sentenced, begging a judge to reject the deal. At the same hearing, Braveheart spoke, apologizing to the Markey family for his actions in the shooting.
"[Prosecutors are] giving him a slap on the hand and counseling," said Markey's father Jerry Markey. "We're shocked. We can't believe this. The person who cold-bloodedly murdered my son is getting offered probation. And why? Because he's a whole new man."
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office argued that Braveheart had shown growth in treatment and programming during his time in custody. The defense has argued that Braveheart was only a secondary actor to his teen co-defendant Jared Ohsman. Ohsman was sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison for his actions.
In a statement after Monday's decision, Hennepin County Attorney's Office spokesperson Nick Kimball wrote: "We disagree with the judge’s decision. The agreement balanced the possibility of severe punishment with the reality that this young man with a terrible childhood has succeeded when he was finally given access to intensive resources. His responsiveness thus far shows that continued serious treatment gives us the best chance to protect the public in the future. Instead, his treatment would likely end if he goes to adult prison and he would likely come out worse than when he went in. Our proposed sentence acknowledged this reality."
The pair admitted they were attempting to rob Steven Markey and steal his car late on a Tuesday afternoon. While both young men fired, it was Ohsman’s bullet that killed the 39-year-old Markey. His family says Markey was just out watching the trains when he was murdered.
With the rejected plea, the court has set a new hearing for Dec. 14. If attorneys are unable to work out a new plea agreement, they could set a trial date during that hearing.