A third person has been sentenced for the shooting death of a 22-year-old man outside a Columbia Heights strip mall nearly two years ago.
Cashmere Smith, 23, of Fridley, received a 10-year sentence Monday in Anoka County District Court after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree murder in connection with the shooting of Charles R. Mosby Jr., of Anoka.
With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Smith is expected to serve the first six years in prison and the balance on supervised release.
The shooter, Dominic Sampson, 21, of Columbia Heights, pleaded guilty to intentional second-degree murder and was sentenced in December to a 30-year term. He's expected to serve about 18 3⁄4 years in prison and the balance on supervised release.
Brandon Kron, 24, of Columbia Heights, pleaded guilty to aiding an offender, accomplice after the fact; one count of second-degree murder was dismissed. He was sentenced in November to a three-year term. He's expected to serve about 13 months in prison and the balance on supervised release.
Authorities have never disclosed a motive for the killing.
According to the criminal complaints:
Mosby met the three men near the strip mall in the 4600 block of Central Avenue.
Sampson, Smith and Kron all handled the gun before Sampson shot Mosby in the back several times at close range as Mosby was leaving. Video surveillance captured what had otherwise appeared to be a "quite amicable" encounter, the charges read.
"This was a tragic loss of life because of a senseless decision on the defendants' part to shoot the victim," County Attorney Tony Palumbo said in a statement that followed Smith's sentencing. "A decision which affects many families for years to come."