Derrick Thompson to blame the brother

The trial of Derrick John Thompson got underway today in the deaths of five young women in a horrific car crash nearly two years ago.

Thompson, age 29, is accused of crashing his rented Cadillac Escalade into the car the young women were riding in near Lake Street in south Minneapolis on the night of June 16, 2023.

In a court document filed today, Thompson indicated that his defense against the 15 felony charges will be to blame his passenger that night, Demarco John Thompson, Derrick’s older brother.

Sahan Journal has a preview of the trial. Near the end, they note:

Derrick Thompson’s brother, Damarco Thompson, was also in the car with him the night of the 2023 crash. Thompson’s defense attorneys said at his federal trial that efforts to locate Damarco Thompson had been unsuccessful. Damarco Thompson has not been charged in the case. 

Sahan Journal reports on an earlier, federal case:

A federal jury convicted Thompson in October 2024 on federal gun and drug charges. The federal case did not include charges for the victims’ deaths.

When law enforcement searched the SUV Thompson was driving, they found more than 2,000 fentanyl pills, 13 MDMA (ecstasy) pills, about 35 grams of cocaine and a loaded handgun with an extended magazine, according to court documents.

Thompson was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

A decision issued last week by the state Court of Appeals prohibits the prosecution from bringing up a 2020 car crash in California for which Thompson was imprisoned following a felony conviction.

Developing…