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After Skipping Court, David Wright Set for Monday Sentencing in Mariah Samuels’ Murder

The no-show intensified the family’s push for answers on Minneapolis police handling of domestic-violence pleas.

Overview

  • Following Friday’s missed sentencing hearing, the judge rescheduled David Wright’s sentencing to Monday.
  • Prosecutors asked the court to force his appearance, while his lawyers said he was unable to attend without giving a reason.
  • A Hennepin County jury convicted Wright last week of first-degree premeditated murder, which carries a mandatory life term without parole.
  • Court records show Mariah Samuels obtained a protection order about three weeks before she was killed, and a Star Tribune review reported a responding officer left after four minutes and wrote she felt safe.
  • Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara ordered a case review and departmentwide retraining on domestic-violence calls, as Samuels’ family seeks records and reforms and city auditors are expected to issue related reports this week.