Jan. 5, 2007: Four held in teen's Russian roulette death in October

Moments before his death last October in a secluded area near the banks of the Mississippi River in south Minneapolis, 17-year-old Trevor Marsh learned he was in a game of Russian roulette.

Authorities say that Raine C. Neiss, 16, of Minneapolis, one of three people angry that Marsh was claiming to be a member of the Gangster Disciples, put a gun to Marsh's head and declared, "the bullet will tell if you are telling the truth."

The bullet was in the cylinder.

Although he begged for his life, a witness said, Marsh was killed with that single shot, according to criminal complaints that became public Thursday. Three people are charged and a fourth is being held in connection with the death of Marsh, who was a senior at Minneapolis South High School.

Lt. Amelia Huffman, a Minneapolis police spokeswoman, said there was no evidence that Marsh was a gang member. "A wannabe, perhaps,"
she said, "but not a confirmed member."

The arrests, announced by police Thursday, brought relief to Nick Malia, 18, of Minneapolis, a friend and high school classmate.

Malia feared that Marsh had been forgotten since his body was discovered near a steep bank Oct. 26. He had been shot a day earlier.

"He always wanted to be accepted, or respected, so he'd lie a lot," Malia recalled Thursday. "He just wanted people to like him more."

Marsh allegedly was killed not because he might have been part of the Gangster Disciples, but because his attackers were upset by his false claims. At least two of them were Gangster Disciples, according to the complaints.

Don't mess with the G.D., the complaints quote one of the suspects as saying to Marsh shortly before he was shot.

Now in custody are:

- Neiss, who is awaiting extradition from Omaha, charged last week in Hennepin County Juvenile Court with second-degree murder and with one count of committing a crime for the benefit of a gang, also a felony.

- Tia M. Dropik, 18, of Minneapolis, who has been charged with being an accomplice after the fact.

- A 15-year-old male, described by police as "the remaining conspirator," whose case is being reviewed by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for possible charges.

A woman who answered the phone at the alleged gunman's last known address said Thursday night that the family had moved recently.

Marsh's parents did not return a reporter's phone call.

Malia, whose school bus picks him up in front of the Marsh home, said that he had gotten a ride to school recently from Trevor's mother after he had missed his bus. Trevor's mom, he said, seemed strong emotionally, but "has been really kind of lost otherwise,"
Malia said. "Months later, she still wasn't sure what day it was."

'Earned his tear'

Malia had been among three high school friends who discovered Marsh's body, purely by happenstance, shortly before 5:30 p.m. Oct.
26. The body was down a steep embankment about 15 yards from the river near S. West River Parkway and E. 32nd Street.

According to the complaints, Marsh allegedly called Boleo during the afternoon of Oct. 25, inviting him and three other people who were with Boleo to meet him at the river.

There, the complaint said, Marsh showed Boleo a silver revolver.
Boleo took the gun, unloaded it and then handed the revolver and ammunition back to Marsh.

Boleo allegedly asked Marsh why he was lying about being a Gangster Disciples member, according to the complaints, which do not document Marsh's reply. Then, the complaints say, Boleo struck Marsh and two of the three people with Boleo "jumped into the fight."

Boleo then called Dropik to pick up the brothers, the complaints say.

When she arrived, the complaints say, Boleo told Dropik that his younger brother, Neiss, now was a "gangster," and that he had "earned his tear."

According to the complaints, a tear tattoo under the eye signifies you've killed someone.

Asked Thursday about the suspects, Malia said that he was not familiar with the names, or in the case of the juveniles, with the initials provided by authorities. But, he added, he'd been hearing rumors about the Russian roulette.

He said that he has visited the site 20 to 30 times, "paying respects and trying to understand what went on."