MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's Note: The above video first aired on 10/11/2024.
A Hennepin County judge has vacated the convictions of Edgar Barrientos-Quintana, 15 years after he was found guilty of murdering Jesse Mickelson.
Judge John McBride found that the defense counsel's representation for Barrientos-Quintana was flawed and the prosecutors' Brady violations undermined confidence in the jury's guilt, said the Great North Innocent Project, who represented Barrientos-Quintana.
The Conviction Review Unit of the Minnesota Attorney General's Office recommended Barrientos' release in August.
Barrientos was found guilty of the murder of 18-year-old Jesse Mickelson, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in October of 2008.
On that October night, Mickelson was at a family member's birthday party, playing football out back, when witnesses say a white car drove up and a passenger started firing at another group, hitting Jesse in the process.
The prosecution's case relied on two teenage witnesses who were associated with a rival clique that identified Barrientos as the shooter. There was no physical evidence that linked Barrientos to the shooting.
The report from the CRU focuses on numerous failings of the justice system, beginning with the witness's description of the shooter.
He was sentenced to life without parole.
“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," said Barrientos-Quintana's family in a release.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.