St. Paul man gets 21-plus years for role in murder

Calvin R. Short admitted in court Thursday that he knew Reginald Buchanan was going to be shot and killed when he and another man got in Buchanan's car in St. Paul the morning of April 16.

But Short, 31, of St. Paul had nothing to say in his own defense when he was sentenced by Ramsey County District Judge Robert A. Awsumb to 21 years and nine months for his role in the murder. He will spend at least 14 1/2 years in prison before he is eligible for release.

Buchanan, 25, was shot in the back of the head and his body was dumped on the street at Battle Creek and Lower Afton roads. A passerby called 911 at 8:37 a.m. April 16. Buchanan's car was found abandoned in an alley in north Minneapolis that evening.

According to court documents, Buchanan had picked up Short and David D. Porter at Short's apartment. Porter originally told police that he had arranged to buy marijuana from Buchanan.

But Assistant County Attorney Tami McConkey said that the men believed Buchanan might have been involved in an earlier robbery at Short's home and shot him out of revenge.

"They just flat-out executed him," McConkey said.

Buchanan's mother and aunt were not in court Thursday but sent victim-impact statements, which McConkey read in court.

Green also wrote a poem in honor of her son, who wrote poetry, McConkey said.

Short pleaded guilty in October to aiding and abetting second-degree murder. His half-brother, Eugene M. Johnson, who helped ditch Buchanan's car, pleaded guilty in October to aiding an offender. He will be sentenced Feb. 27.

Porter, 30, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of first-degree murder and is scheduled to stand trial in February.