Lee Murray guilty in murder of Leon May

Lee Murray showed no emotion when the verdict was read and the jury polled. The victim, Leon May, was shot outside his home during an alleged robbery in December.

By PAT PHEIFER, Star Tribune

Last update: November 5, 2009 - 10:47 PM

It took the jury 2 1/2 days to sift through 177 pieces of evidence in the Lee D. Murray trial before finding him guilty Thursday in Ramsey County District Court of second-degree murder in the death of Leon May on St. Paul's East Side.

May, 32, was shot 17 times and died on the back stoop of his home in the 400 block of E. Jessamine Street shortly before midnight on Dec. 11, 2008. He had refused to turn over his house keys to Murray and his accomplices because May's family was inside.

Sarah Banashuk, May's girlfriend and the mother of his 10-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter, didn't get to court in time to hear the verdict. She heard the news on her cell phone and leapt sobbing into the arms of her friend Tanya Macioch a few minutes afterward.

"I'm just happy that the jury looked at all the evidence and found him guilty so he can't do this again to somebody else," she said.

The children are "doing OK," Banashuk said. It's been hard on the 10-year-old, but "some justice will help him through this journey," she said. "He won't feel like he needs to protect his mom so much now."

District Judge Dale Lindman told Murray after the verdict that sentencing will be in about six weeks.

In his closing argument Tuesday, prosecutor John Freeman portrayed Murray as a cold-blooded killer who pumped seven bullets into May after he and three accomplices hatched a plan to rob "the weed man."

Earlier on the night of the murder, Jerome K. West, Shaun Smith, Damaine McClinton and Murray had gotten together and decided to rob someone, Freeman said. They picked May.

Murray used a female acquaintance's cell phone to call May and set up a "sham drug deal," Freeman said. The men drove in McClinton's vehicle to May's home, circled it and parked about a half-block away.

Smith was armed with a 9-millimeter pistol; Murray had a .22-caliber handgun. West had brought hooded sweatshirts, gloves and a mask.

Another call was made to May, and Murray, Smith and McClinton approached his home. May came out the front door and was forced at gunpoint to the back stoop. Murray and Smith then fired, hitting May 17 times, Freeman said. McClinton ran as soon as he heard the shots. The four fled in McClinton's vehicle but ultimately split up.

Police found several items at the crime scene, including jail-release papers with Murray's name on them and a business card for Murray's probation officer.

An acquaintance of West's who'd been with him after the shooting told police she'd taken him to Hudson, Wis., and showed officers where he'd stood on a bridge over the St. Croix River. On Feb. 7, 2009, the St. Croix County dive team found two guns -- a 9-mm and a .22-caliber -- in the water. The .22-caliber was matched to the shell casings found at May's home; the 9-mm was too rusted to tell if it was the other murder weapon, Freeman said.

Defense attorney Richard Sarette told the jury that Murray was "the perfect patsy" who was set up by the three other men -- known robbers -- because they believed he had snitched on them in 1996 and put them in prison. The three had taken Murray's papers earlier that night and planted them at the scene out of revenge.

Smith is awaiting trial on charges of second-degree murder. McClinton pleaded guilty in March to aiding an offender and agreed to testify against his co-defendants. The plea agreement called for a 68-month sentence. His sentencing will be held after Smith's trial. West pleaded guilty in August to third-degree murder. He will be sentenced later this month.

The jury did not hear that Murray was convicted in the fatal shooting of a St. Paul teenager, James Lindorff, 16, in 1996. He served 6 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree assault and shortly after his release was shot and severely wounded by the victim's uncle.

Pat Pheifer • 612-741-4992

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