Minneapolis man charged in Robbinsdale murder

Nine months after two couples were terrified during an apparently random home invasion in Robbinsdale, new details in a complaint Wednesday tell how one of the men was shot and killed when he tried to protect his wife as she was being assaulted.

George Cornelius Watkins, 27, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of aggravated robbery in the death of Jamis Marks at his home in the normally quiet 2700 block of York Avenue N. near Theodore Wirth Park and North Memorial Medical Center. Additional charges are expected.

Marks, 28, answered a knock at the door at about 2:30 a.m. on New Year's Day shortly after the couples had arrived from a night of celebration. The armed men demanded money and jewelry and threatened the victims if they did not comply, the charges said. The men ordered them to the floor and dragged Marks' wife, Heather, through the house seeking more money and jewelry. With the three others on the floor, one of the men threw her on a bed, according to the complaint.

The man tried to remove her clothing as he continued to threaten her. Hearing his wife under attack, Marks jumped up and tried to disarm the other suspect, the two other witnesses said. One suspect then fired multiple times, shooting Marks in the chest. The two men, armed with long guns, then fled, the witnesses said. Marks died within a few hours at North Memorial.

Marks' father, Steve Marks, said that though he had read the complaint, he didn't need it as proof that his son died bravely protecting the love of his life.

"I knew it all along," he said.

"I'm just happy that I think we know what happened. I think they got the people responsible, and we just gotta be happy with that," he said in a telephone interview. "He was a good, loving hardworking kid."

The complaint alleges that Watkins worked with Keith M. Hemphill, who is charged with aggravated robbery and assault in a different shooting on Jan. 1. Both men are in custody.

Hemphill has not been charged in the Marks case, but Robbinsdale Police Chief Steve Smith said he has been placed at the scene and that "through further investigation we're going to be able to charge all those who were responsible for this homicide."

The complaint offered no motive for the break-in. At the time, police said the robbers may have targeted the wrong house.

"There is a certain amount of randomness that went into this, but to be able to answer that 100 percent, we need to investigate this further," Smith said.

It may be too early to say whether the attack is related to a spate of violence and robberies that plagued the area last winter, he said. It's a connection that investigators are aware of, he said, and are looking for comparisons.

The complaint said that Heather Marks picked Watkins out of a lineup, saying he "could be the man who threw her on the bed."

A woman identified only as J.H. told investigators she was with Watkins the night of Dec. 31 and that she drove him and Hemphill to the victim's house. She said it was Watkins' idea to rob the people in the house. The woman said the two men came running out of the house after the robbery and she drove them away. She said she learned of the shooting when she saw Watkins and Hemphill cleaning blood out of her car.

J.H.'s brother, identified only as T.T., also said Watkins gave him a .22-caliber rifle and told him the gun had been used to kill someone during a "stick-up" in Robbinsdale. Watkins also told T.T. he stole a ring, a watch and a phone, the complaint said.

Police found a wallet matching the description of Marks' wallet at the woman's house. Heather Marks identified the wallet as her husband's. J.H. also told police she saw Watkins with a large diamond ring that matched the description of the one stolen from Marks. Two .22-caliber slugs were found during an autopsy, the complaint said.

In the other incident, the complaint against Hemphill said Minneapolis police went on Jan. 1 to North Memorial to speak to a shooting victim, identified only as E.P. That victim said he saw two men shooting a gun into the air near Lowry and Humboldt Avenues North.

E.P. said he approached the men and told them not to hurt anyone. Hemphill then put a "long rifle" to his head and said "you better watch yourself, or we will kill you." The two also demanded money, but E.P. said he had none. As he tried to run away, he was shot in the right hip and later went to the hospital.

E.P. identified Hemphill in a photo lineup.

Smith said he is optimistic that additional charges will follow and bring closure to an entire community, which was on guard after the attack.

"It's about as heinous a crime as you can get, and there is a certain amount of satisfaction following the hundreds, if not thousands of hours that were worked to solve it," Smith said. "But I have to temper that by saying that by no means is this investigation over. There's only one person charged, and I think it's safe to say there's much more work yet to do."

Watkins is scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 today. Hemphill is scheduled to appear next on Oct. 16.

Watkins was already being held in a separate incident from June 20 on charges of false imprisonment and terroristic threats. His lawyer on that matter, Diane Dodd, said he does not represent him on the new charges.

Hemphill's lawyer, Maria Mitchell, did not return a call seeking comment.

Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747 Abby Simons • 612-673-4290