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Otis Elder’s family visited his grave on Monday after a teen received a 16-year sentence for Elder’s murder in St. Paul.
“I just feel like my son got no justice,” Shandra McKinley-Lewis said afterward.
Mekhi Speed, 18, apologized to Elder’s family in court, said his attorney, Paul Sellers.
“He accepted responsibility for his actions,” Sellers said. “He’s obviously dealing with a tremendous amount of guilt, not entirely justified, related to the death of his cousin.”
Speed’s cousin, Amir Locke, was fatally shot by a Minneapolis officer as police carried out a “no knock” search warrant in February in the homicide investigation. The 22-year-old Locke was not named in the warrants.
FAMILY SAYS THEY LACK CLOSURE
Elder, 38, was shot and killed in the 500 block of North Prior Avenue, between University Avenue and Interstate 94, in St. Paul at about 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 10.
Speed, who was 17 at the time, was initially charged in February in juvenile court. The Ramsey County attorney’s office said they intended to have him stand trial as an adult, and the case was later moved to adult court.
When Speed pleaded guilty in May to aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder while committing an armed robbery, he confirmed that he and another person had approached a parked vehicle. Speed said they went to buy marijuana, but they decided instead to take it.
Speed said he’d been using alcohol and Percocet that day. He was aware there was a gunshot and said he had a handgun, though he said he didn’t remember pulling the trigger or shooting Elder.
Speed said in court on Monday, “I didn’t do what you think I did,” according to Sellers.
McKinley-Lewis said she left court without closure. She said Locke’s father talked to her after the sentencing and Speed’s mother extended her hand to her.
“I took her hand because I want to go to heaven — that’s where I believe my son is, and I know I can’t go there without forgiving (Speed),” she said.
A 16-year-old is also charged with aiding and abetting murder in Elder’s death, and his case is ongoing.
PRESUMPTIVE SENTENCE UNDER STATE GUIDELINES
Ramsey County Judge Timothy Mulrooney sentenced Speed to 16 years and 3 months — the presumptive sentence under state guidelines for someone with Speed’s criminal history. Speed has credit for 186 days served. Inmates in Minnesota generally serve two-thirds of their sentence in prison and the remainder on supervised release.
At the time that Elder was killed, Speed was on supervised probation after pleading guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon for shooting a male in Brooklyn Park in September 2020, according to court records.
Motika Elder, one of Elder’s sisters, said she told Speed in court that he broke her heart.
“I can never, ever see my brother again, while (Speed) is talking about helping his son do this and that,” said Motika Elder, who added that Otis also was a father. “It was a slap in the face. They robbed my brother literally for his life.”
LOCKE WASN’T NAMED IN SEARCH WARRANTS
During the investigation, St. Paul police identified Speed as a suspect. He lived in an apartment building in downtown Minneapolis, where police served search warrants on Feb. 2.
Locke was staying on a couch in Speed’s brother’s girlfriend’s apartment when police carried out a no-knock warrant and a Minneapolis officer shot him. Speed lived in a different unit with his mother, but had access to the other apartment, according to the criminal complaint.
Prosecutors did not charge the officer, saying body camera video showed Locke pointing a gun, though his family has said the footage suggests he was startled awake.
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