Long sentence for man who killed mom, threatened bridge leap with their child

By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune

Last update: May 13, 2008 - 8:35 AM

A man who killed his longtime girlfriend with dozens of stab wounds in her Brooklyn Center apartment and then snatched their toddler and threatened to leap with the 2-year-old from a Mississippi River bridge has been sentenced to 45 years in prison.

Jermaine Dickerson, 25, of Brooklyn Park, was sentenced Monday in Hennepin County District Court to 40 years in prison for murder and another five years for terroristic threats.

According to court documents:

Late one morning in May 2007, Savannah Stevens was found in a pool of blood at her apartment. She has 76 knife wounds and died that afternoon.

Shortly before 5 p.m., an Amber Alert went out for the couple's missing 2-year-old daughter, Tiana.

After receiving dozens of calls, police gave chase to Dickerson, eventually reaching the Interstate Hwy. 694 bridge near Fridley.

The pursuit ended when Dickerson suddenly stopped, grabbed Tiana and climbed atop a guardrail more than 40 feet above the Mississippi River.

He threatened to jump with the 2-year-old, but eventually surrendered.

An autopsy also revealed that the tip of one of the two knives that Dickerson allegedly used had broken off in Stevens' skull, police said.

Stevens' relatives said she endured physical abuse and threats from Dickerson during an off-and-on four-year relationship.

Authorities said that Dickerson admitted to being in an altercation with Stevens and to striking her with the knives twice.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

Recent Local + Metro stories

Officers behind junk fax scam face Kan. sentencing - May 13, 2008

Officers behind junk fax scam face Kan. sentencing - The president of a Florida consulting firm convicted in a massive fax blast scam blinked back tears Friday as he was sentenced to 68 months in prison for his role in defrauding thousands of small business owners across the United States, Mexico and Canada. More