MINNEAPOLIS — A man will be tried again for the killing of a Minneapolis teen, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office said.
Cody Fohrenkam is accused of killing Deshaun Hill Jr. in February of 2022. Hill was a star quarterback for the North High School Polars and a guard for the school's basketball team.
Investigators say Hill and Fohrenkam accidentally brushed shoulders while walking opposite ways down a sidewalk on Glenwood Ave. At least one witness said Fohrenkam then pulled a handgun and fired three or four shots at Hill, at least one striking him in the head. The 15-year-old later died at a hospital.
Fohrenkam was found guilty of the crime, but in May of this year, that conviction was thrown out by the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Fohrenkam's legal team told the court that Minneapolis police illegally detained the defendant, handcuffing and questioning him when a St. Louis County judge had ordered Fohrenkam released in a separate criminal matter. It was argued the videotaped statements that were instrumental in the conviction were illegally obtained.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office took the case to the Minnesota Supreme Court, who declined to review the case. The case is now headed back to the county court for a retrial.
The attorney's office said in a statement to media Tuesday they are prosecuting Fohrenkam on the same charges, two counts of second-degree murder.
“Deshaun Hill was an honor roll student and beloved quarterback at North High, and his tragic death due to gun violence shocked the entire community,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. “We will prosecute Mr. Fohrenkam to hold him accountable for the murder of Deshaun Hill.”
Hill's family agreed to a $500,000 settlement with the Minneapolis Public Schools after alleging Deshaun would still be alive if North's principal had not agreed to let students out of school to take part in a demonstration at city hall that day.