Unusual Northeast Mpls murder leaves stuffed animals in its wake [PHOTOS]

Categories: Homicide Files
northeast murder stuffed animals crop.jpg
Neighbors say a black Suburban raced down the street, discarding these stuffed animals and a passenger just before police arrived.
A 28-year-old woman was shot to death in her northeast Minneapolis home around 9 p.m. last night.

She lived on Stinson Parkway, near 26th Ave. NE. Police say they believe more than one suspect is responsible, but haven't yet made any arrests. Anyone with information is asked to call the MPD's tip line 612-692-8477.

Rick Maki lives three doors from where the murder occurred. He said that shortly before officers arrived at the scene, a neighbor of his "saw a black Suburban stop at the intersection, throw these stuffed animals out, and then some guy was thrown out the suburban, got up, and ran away."

Maki said his neighbor can't be sure the strange Suburban incident was connected with the murder, but the correlation between the Suburban racing down the street and police arriving on the scene suggests it was more than a coincidence. Police, for their part, believe the suspects fled the scene on foot.

"The stuffed animals ended up right around the corner from where the shooting was," Maki said. Here's a photo he snapped as officers arrived on the scene:
northeast murder stuffed animals.jpg

The neighbor described the man thrown out of the Suburban as a "younger white guy," Maki said.

Maki, who didn't know the victim, described his neighborhood as "nice and quiet." Indeed, in a news conference held hours after the shooting, MPD Second Precinct Commander Bryan Schafer said police "don't see these kinds of incidents in this area." Here's a map:
northeast murder location.jpg
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Police don't believe the shooting was random. Said Schafer: "I don't feel the neighborhood is in immediate danger at this point but it's still kind of early to tell." Courtesy of Maki, here's another photo of the crime scene as officers arrived:
northeast murder scene.jpg

Wednesday night's murder was the first homicide of the year in the second precinct and the sixth citywide. At this time last year, there had been 10 murders reported, meaning homicides in Minneapolis are down 40 percent this year compared to last.
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13 comments
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Flogger
Flogger

That part of NE Minneapolis is becoming quite an oasis for crack, heroin and meth users!

Really
Really

 Really?  It seems like a really nice neighborhood when biking through.

bogdawg
bogdawg

Well I just got home from a walk and 2 of the stuffed animals are on the corner of 29th McKinley, here I thought the police grabbed them for evidence.

Present
Present

and another thing... who uses BIng?  BIng sucks...

Actually...
Actually...

GrammarPolice is absolutely wrong. The brand name of the vehicle would be Chevrolet; Suburban is the model.

GrammarPolice
GrammarPolice

I love how they don't capitalize "Suburban" even though it's a brand name of a car.

Raphael
Raphael

 Are you kidding me?  That's the first thing that you comment on?  You are SICK!

Ray
Ray

 GET A REAL JOB!!

Brenda
Brenda

Wow, that's all you got from the entire article? Way to be a compassionate TOOL.

Tater
Tater

Really?  A 28 year old woman shot to death and you make a comment about grammar?

atrupar
atrupar

You're right, GrammarPolice. I've gone in and fixed. Thanks!

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