Man Found Guilty of Killing Neighbor in Minneapolis in 2015

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Hennepin County jury has found a Brooklyn Park man guilty of killing his former neighbor, who was a Minneapolis activist and artist.

Jurors deliberated a day before finding Demetrius Wynee guilty Tuesday of second-degree murder with intent. He was found not guilty of a lower charge, second-degree murder without intent.

Susan Spiller, 68, was strangled, beaten and stabbed several times and was found dead in her bedroom in July 2015. A Hennepin County medical examiner said Spiller died of “complex homicidal violence.”

Neighbors told police Spiller had been having ongoing issues with Wynne’s family, the Star Tribune reported.

“Nearly seven years have passed since this tragedy occurred. While the guilty verdict cannot undo the heartbreak and devastation the victim’s family and loved ones have endured, my hope is that this helps in the healing process,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a statement.

Having killed Spiller when he was 14, Wynne was arrested nearly four years later following a fingerprint match. He was first charged in juvenile court, but late in 2019 was moved to adult court to stand trial.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 28. Prosecutors plan to request a 30-year sentence.