2nd teen charged in connection with Otis Elder’s death in St. Paul
A file photo of the intersection at which a January homicide in St. Paul was reported. (KSTP-TV).
A second teen has been charged in connection with the death of 38-year-old Otis Elder in St. Paul last month.
Elder was the victim of the St. Paul homicide that then led to the no-knock search warrants in Minneapolis, which resulted in the death of Amir Locke, who was shot by a Minneapolis Police Department SWAT team member.
According to a charging document, a 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in Ramsey County juvenile court with two counts of aiding and abetting second-degree murder in connection with Elder’s death.
The charging document details the following:
On Jan. 10, officers responded to a report of a man who had been shot along Prior Avenue in St. Paul.
Upon arrival, officers found Elder with a gunshot wound lying on the ground near a Chevrolet Tahoe. He was taken to Regions Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Two days later, investigators spoke with a witness who told them he had been with Elder prior to the shooting. That witness told investigators Elder was sitting in the driver’s seat of the Chevrolet Tahoe, another male was sitting in the front passenger seat, and another male was standing outside the driver’s side door holding a gun. The witness said it appeared the male outside the vehicle fired the gun; then, the witness said he saw a Mercedes-Benz leave the scene at a high rate of speed.
Investigators learned the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS250 with Massachusetts plates had been stolen in November and was believed to have been used in previous crimes, including two armed robberies and an attempted armed robbery in December, as well as a theft in January.
On Jan. 21, a Minneapolis police officer reported seeing the Mercedes-Benz in a parking ramp and St. Paul police recovered the vehicle.
Investigators also obtained video of the Mercedes-Benz being left in the ramp on Jan. 11. The video showed four males leaving the vehicle and taking items out of the trunk.
Investigators also obtained video that had captured the Jan. 10 shooting scene in St. Paul. Investigators reported the Mercedes-Benz found in the parking ramp was also seen in that video.
A St. Paul Police Department Forensic Unit report indicated a latent finger print had been lifted from the Mercedes-Benz exterior left rear door of the Mercedes-Benz, and matched the 16-year-old boy’s print.
The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office states a motion has been filed to have the 16-year-old boy stand trial as an adult.
Locke’s 17-year-old cousin, Mekhi Speed, has also been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with Elder’s death.
RELATED: Suspect in homicide that prompted no-knock search warrant arraigned
Law enforcement officials were searching for Speed and his associates when they executed a search warrant on Feb. 2 and fatally shot Locke. Unsealed warrants showed that Locke was not named in the search warrant.