Jeffrey Murray Charged With Killing Darren Blissitt In North Minneapolis Apartment
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 38-year-old man is facing murder charges for allegedly robbing and shooting a man last month in the victim's north Minneapolis apartment.
Jeffrey Welt Murray, of Minneapolis, is charged with second-degree murder in connection to the Sept. 9 shooting death of Darren Blissitt, court documents filed Monday in Hennepin County show.
Murray was arrested Thursday for illegally possessing a gun. He is currently in custody in lieu of $1,000,000 bail.
According to a criminal complaint, Murray shot Blissitt in his bed. Responding officers to the apartment building on the 2000 block of Emerson Avenue North found the 59-year-old victim naked, in a pool of blood, dead with two gunshot wounds in his groin.
The victim's fiancée told investigators that moments before the shooting Murray, who goes by the nickname "St. Louis," was calling her boyfriend, trying to get inside the apartment. Blissitt did not want to let him in.
However, another apartment resident, who knew Murray, let him into the building, although he told investigators was reluctant to do so. He said that Murray got his attention by throwing pebbles at his window.
Once Murray was inside the building, Blissitt let him into his apartment. Murray asked Blissitt about a gun, and Blissitt responded that he didn't have one.
At that moment, Murray pulled out a gun and told Blissitt he "was not playin'," the complaint states. Murray shot Blissitt, who then reached under his pillow and grabbed a gun and gave it to Murray. Before fleeing the apartment, Murray shot Blissitt a second time.
When presented with a six-person photo line-up, Blissitt's fiancée identified Murray as the shooter. She told investigators that she was "100% sure he was the person."
In an interview with police, Murray initially denied knowing Blissitt. But after being told why homicide investigators were talking to him, he admitted to knowing him, saying he hadn't seen him in weeks. He also denied going by the name "St. Louis."
If convicted of second-degree murder, Murray faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
