Tuesday May 27, 2025
Five friends were killed in a car crash in Minneapolis on June 16, 2023. They are, clockwise from top left: Sahra Gesaade, Sagal Hersi and Siham Odhowa, Salma Abdikadir and Sahra Gesaade, and Sabiriin Ali. Credit: Courtesy of Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn (HOL) — The trial of Derrick John Thompson, accused of killing five Somali American women in a high-speed crash last year, began Tuesday with jury selection in Hennepin County, marking the start of a closely watched case that has shaken Minnesota’s Somali community and drawn national attention.
Thompson, 29, faces 15 felony charges, including five counts of third-degree murder and 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide. Prosecutors allege Thompson, 29, was driving a rented Cadillac Escalade at 95 miles per hour in a 55 zone when he exited Interstate 35W at Lake Street without stopping for a red light. He collided with a Honda Civic carrying five young women—friends and relatives—who had just finished having henna applied ahead of a wedding celebration planned for the following day. All five were killed instantly.
The victims were identified as Sabiriin Ali, 17; Sahra Gesaade, 20; Salma Abdikadir, 20; Sagal Hersi, 19; and Siham Odhowa, 19. They were students, teachers, and caretakers—pillars of their community—and their sudden loss reverberated through Minnesota’s Somali and Muslim communities. Their funeral, held at Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center and the Garden of Eden Cemetery in Burnsville, drew thousands. Thirteen mourners were hospitalized for heat-related illnesses that day as crowds stood shoulder to shoulder in 90-degree heat, quietly praying under a scorching sun.
“They had bright futures,” said Khalid Omar, a teacher at Dar Al Farooq. “And the way the community came together to bury them—together—shows how deeply we all felt their loss.”
Thompson fled the scene on foot and was arrested nearby. Inside the Escalade, authorities found a black bag containing over 2,000 fentanyl pills, 13 MDMA pills, cocaine, and a loaded Glock handgun with an extended magazine. Surveillance footage from earlier that night shows Thompson renting the SUV at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport less than half an hour before the crash.
In October 2024, a federal jury convicted Thompson of three felony counts: possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. His DNA was found on the firearm, the driver’s door, and the drug packaging. Text messages and voice notes retrieved from his phone included a request for “30,000 blues”—a street term for fentanyl pills.
Throughout the trial, Thompson’s attorneys argued that the drugs and gun belonged to his brother, Damarco Thompson, who was in the vehicle and also fled the scene. Prosecutors labelled that defence “a red herring.” Damarco has not been charged in the case, and according to court testimony, law enforcement has been unable to locate him.
Thompson did not testify during the federal trial. The defence called no witnesses.
Derrick Thompson (Credit: Hennepin County Jail)
Thompson has a history of serious traffic and criminal offences. In 2018, Thompson was convicted in California for a hit-and-run in which he struck a pedestrian while fleeing police at high speed. The victim suffered a fractured pelvis, head trauma, and multiple broken bones and was placed in a medically induced coma, undergoing eight surgeries to survive. He was sentenced to eight years and released after three. Thompson’s history of reckless driving had become central to the prosecution’s strategy until it was legally excluded. Prosecutors had hoped to introduce that conviction as Spreigl evidence, arguing that it showed a pattern of behaviour relevant to proving the “depraved mind” necessary for third-degree murder. But last week, a Minnesota appeals court upheld a district ruling excluding the evidence, noting that while the two crashes bore similarities, they were “too general” to qualify as part of a common scheme.
“The state’s need for evidence of the California incident is low,” wrote Judge Diane Bratvold, citing the weight of available evidence in the Minneapolis case.
Despite that setback, prosecutors say the existing evidence is strong. A Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension analyst testified in the earlier federal case that Thompson’s DNA was found on the SUV’s driver-side door, the firearm, and packaging linked to the drugs.
In late 2024, Thompson was offered a plea deal that would have dropped the murder charges if he pleaded guilty to five counts of vehicular homicide. He would have served 32 to 38 years in prison. Thompson rejected the deal. His refusal brought the case to trial, now expected to last several weeks.
Family members of the victims have packed the courtroom for each hearing. During pretrial proceedings last November, many wept as officers played body camera footage from the scene. Several walked out when the defence questioned the strength of the witness testimony or suggested alternative suspects.
“The families are truly disappointed that Mr. Thompson has not taken accountability,” said attorney Joe Heegaard, who is representing the families. “But they are committed to seeing this through.”
Osman Ahmed, advocacy director of CAIR-MN, added that the community is preparing for an emotionally taxing process. “This trial reopens the wound,” he said. “But we will stand with the families—until the end.”
Thompson is the son of former Minnesota state Rep. John Thompson, a one-time activist against police violence whose political career ended amid controversy. His father has not spoken publicly about the charges.
Opening statements are expected later this week. Thompson remains in custody and is also awaiting sentencing in his federal case.