Judge vacates murder conviction 16 years after killing of Minneapolis high school student
Edgar Barrientos (Minnesota Department of Corrections)
A man who was convicted of murdering a Minneapolis teenager over 16 years ago is now free after a Hennepin County judge vacated his conviction on Wednesday.
Edgar Barrientos-Quintana’s murder conviction from 2009 was vacated by Judge John McBride after he found that the defense counsel’s representation was flawed and the prosecutors committed Brady violations, according to the Great North Innocence Project (GNIP).
Barrientos-Quintana was convicted of killing 18-year-old Roosevelt High School senior Jesse Mickelson in May of 2009.
Mr. Barrientos-Quintana’s attorney from the Great North Innocence Project, Anna McGinn, said about the exoneration, “We are thrilled with today’s outcome and that justice has finally prevailed for Edgar. The tragedy of Mr. Mickelson’s murder was compounded by Edgar’s wrongful conviction and incarceration. We are all looking forward to seeing the impact he will inevitably make outside of the prison walls.”
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According to a release from GNIP, a two-year investigation by the Minnesota Conviction Review Unit (CRU) uncovered missteps by the state as well as Barrientos-Quintana’s defense team.
The CRU also found that Barrientos-Quintana had a credible alibi at the time of the murder, and the prosecution used “problematic eyewitness identification procedures.”
Judge McBride also ruled that Barrientos-Quintana’s defense team “was ineffective on numerous fronts, including failing to present exculpatory evidence and failing to challenge the investigators’ and eyewitnesses’ testimony during trial.”
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Mr. Barrientos-Quintana’s family shared, “As a family, we express our gratitude to God for granting Edgar’s freedom. He has missed out on so many precious moments, including watching his children grow up, attending graduations, birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations with the family, and the loss of our beloved dad. He has a lot of ground to cover. Finally, my mom will be able to have her son back at the family dinners, and the place that has been vacant for so long will be filled with his laughter and presence once again. Edgar’s journey has been one of resilience, strength, and unwavering faith. Despite the challenges and obstacles that he has faced, he has never lost hope. His spirit is an inspiration to us all, a testament to the power of perseverance and the human capacity for endurance.”