(credit: Jupiter Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 17-year-old man has been sentenced to more than 23 years in prison for the beating death of James Teto Grant, who was found dead in Theodore Wirth Park.
Leonard Baker will have the possibility of parole after serving two-thirds of his sentence. He pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder in January.
Baker and two others were arrested after Grant’s body was found on July 18, 2010. An investigation revealed the men allegedly beat Grant to death during a gang initiation.
According to the criminal complaint, the men tried to bury Grant’s body but after that was unsuccessful, they stole a car battery, tied it to his leg and attempted to submerge the body in the pond at Wirth Park.
His body was discovered by a kayaker about a week later.
One of the other teens, 17-year-old Emmanuel Garmodhen Myles, was sentenced to 31 years and eight months in prison on two counts of second-degree murder.
17 Comments
so a life = 23 years. Likely less with good time off.
Damn it all – we actually wonder why crime continues in this state.
23 ficken years — death to the victim seems permanent in my eyes, as in life. Are they thinking they can resurrect him???
February 9, 2011 at 11:37 am | | Report comment
You want to pay for him to be in jail all his life? And did you see how it was a gang initiation? It’s not like it was a random incident.
April 21, 2011 at 8:25 pm | | Report comment
We need the death penalty in Minnesota!
February 9, 2011 at 11:48 am | | Report comment
youre right!! mn is too damn liberal!
February 9, 2011 at 12:21 pm | | Report comment
I’m not liberal by any means…but if you look at any of the facts of the death penalty, they prove with out a doubt that the death penalty doesn’t work to deter crime. So, whats the point? We all make mistakes, and isn’t it the point of life to learn from your mistakes. Now this doesn’t go for certain crimes such as murder or sex offenders, but give people the chance to make things right. We blacklist people out of society for crimes that most Americans will commit in their lives,but just won’t get caught for. So, NO, we don’t need the death penalty.
And PS, you can blame the media for
April 21, 2011 at 8:22 pm | | Report comment
Actually with good time he will have to do 16 years. Kill a man and get out and still have a life. Nice jjudicial system.
February 9, 2011 at 11:48 am | | Report comment
Lets see 16 + 17 = 33 wow a really old man when he gets out. How brutal do you have to be to beat a man to death? He should never see the light of day.
February 9, 2011 at 11:54 am | | Report comment
Yeah, and I am sure he will be a saint when he gets out of Stillwater.
Good lord, why ever let him out? He took a life, he should never, ever see daylight without bars in front of it ever again.
February 9, 2011 at 12:16 pm | | Report comment
Gang banger beats another gang banger to death and goes to prison, this is a totally WIN WIN situation!
February 9, 2011 at 12:24 pm | | Report comment
MN libs are too soft on crime and then want to raise taxes, control our lives, ban guns, and force cohesiveness and political correctness between all nationalities.
February 9, 2011 at 12:39 pm | | Report comment
I agree. Minnesota is too liberal. Criminals have nothing to fear if the consequences aren’t severe.
Only 17 though. I have always wondered why some can’t own pets, yet anyone can have a child.
February 9, 2011 at 12:46 pm | | Report comment
Oh I love diversity……………….;..
February 9, 2011 at 12:56 pm | | Report comment
Doesn’t say anything about the victim being a gang member. Could be unfortunate stranger. In New Mexico a relative was getting gas & went in to pay & the clerk saw a man creep into her backseat waiting for her to come back & called police. When found man/loser said he was going to kill her as part of joining a gang. Wish the police could get rid of these gangs before they get a good foothold in a city. Too late for Albuquerque-hopefully not too late for St Cloud. Otherwise Charlie – I’d LOVE to hear about gang members killing each other !
February 9, 2011 at 1:16 pm | | Report comment
reinstate the draft. this would help break the cycle of crime in these neighborhoods and these young men would see that there is more to the world then working for some drug dealer.
February 9, 2011 at 2:21 pm | | Report comment
we need to start worrying about the terrorists (gangs) here as opposed to overseas. @ linda; it did not say that he was a gang membe but that he was being initiated into the gang. they often beat “applicants” in an attempt to see how tuff they are. just rediculous. and as far as the death penalty goes, i’m sure we can find some use out of criminals other than simply puting the lights out.
February 9, 2011 at 2:28 pm | | Report comment
Where were their parents? We should prosecute them for neglect and for aiding and abetting their criminal children. Holding parents accountable for letting their children running around breaking the law could help solve this problem. Did the parents of this child even know he was in a gang? Its not a matter of whether Minnesota is liberal or not, its a matter of keeping tabs on where and what our “children” are doing. This child’s parents are as much to blame.
February 10, 2011 at 10:05 am | | Report comment
I agree the death penalty should be reinstated in the state of MN. Too many murders in the Twin Cities area. If you take a life, you should be severely punished. This issue needs to be addressed( that is just my opinion.)
February 13, 2011 at 10:45 pm | | Report comment