MINNIAPOLIS — James Moore was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a robbery gone wrong, in which he shot and killed a man who was lured to an apartment to sell marijuana.
Moore, 22, of Minneapolis pleaded guilty Oct. 29 in the December shooting death of 21-year-old Malik Smith of Brooklyn Center. Smith arrived at the apartment expecting to sell marijuana, and was shot by Moore while in his sports utility vehicle. Moore was sentenced Monday to 360 months in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, on Dec. 19, 2019, Minneapolis police responded to a shooting on the 1700 block of Russell Avenue North but were diverted to a SUV that crashed into a tree in front of home on Russell Avenue North, just a short distance from where the shots were reported. Smith was found behind the wheel and he died a short time later from two shots to his back.
A witness told police that Moore and co-defendant Tyreik Perkins, 21, of Roseville, walked up to the SUV near Golden Valley Road and Russell Avenue and Moore unsuccessfully tried to open the door and then shot into the driver’s side of the vehicle. Moore and Perkins then ran into an apartment building at 2406 Golden Valley Road, to a unit which belonged to Moore’s girlfriend, 20-year-old Destiny Bradshaw of Brooklyn Park.
Police obtained a search warrant for Bradshaw’s apartment where the two men were and when police ordered them to come out, they were arrested. Inside, police found two handguns and a gun magazine with live rounds.
A few days following the shooting, a second witness contacted investigators and informed them she had additional information regarding the incident after speaking with Bradshaw. Bradshaw stated that she lured Smith by creating a fake Facebook message searching for marijuana. Moore and Perkins had devised a plan to rob Smith when he arrived. Bradshaw was subsequently arrested following the witness’s statement.
In late July, a grand jury returned indictments against Moore, Perkins and Bradshaw for first-degree murder while committing aggravated robbery and second-degree intentional murder.
Three days into jury selection, Moore pleaded guilty to intentional second-degree murder. At his sentencing Monday, Mr. Smith’s mother, father, and sister provided victim impact statements while Moore refrained from any comment. In accordance with is plea agreement, Moore received 340 days of credit and has restitution of more than $4,000.
Bradshaw’s next scheduled court appearance is Jan. 15. Perkins has pleaded not guilty and will likely have a trial date set for early to mid-2021.
