Families decry plea deal that could free repeat killer in under 27 years
Relatives of two murder victims are outraged after a plea agreement let the offender serve concurrent sentences, potentially releasing him in less than 27 years.
Marquez Hill-Turnipseed, now 24, confessed to the 2022 killing of Eloe Lomax and the 2025 murder of innocent bystander Stageina Whiting during a Minneapolis drive-by shooting. Prosecutors under Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty secured a 40-year sentence that runs concurrently for both counts, allowing Hill-Turnipseed to be eligible for release in under 27 years. Families of Lomax and Whiting, including mother Talanda Burks and mother Tasha Blanks, denounced the deal as a denial of justice, insisting each murder deserved its own trial and separate punishment.
The Boom Island crime scene was described as a “war zone,” with investigators retrieving 130 shell casings from five firearms. Prosecutor Patrick Lofton called Whiting an “innocent victim in a stupid war,” while Judge Michael Burns rejected the defendant’s courtroom comparison to his own loss and nonetheless upheld the negotiated sentence. Moriarty’s office declined comment, but a spokesperson emphasized that sentencing length does not reflect the value of the victims’ lives and highlighted public-safety considerations.
Why it matters
The sentencing approach raises questions about justice for victims and the influence of prosecutorial policies on public safety.
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