Lavell Piggie gets 51 years in prison for fatally shooting 2 in drug-related dispute
MINNEAPOLIS – A 20-year-old man pleaded guilty to the drug-related shooting deaths of two men last year in north Minneapolis, and on Friday was sentenced to 51 years in prison.
Lavell Piggie was indicted by a grand jury earlier this year. He was charged with two counts of first-degree intentional premeditated murder, and two counts of first-degree intentional felony murder, for the events that happened on Feb. 10, 2022.
"Piggie admitted to a brazen double murder and he has now been held legally accountable. I'm hopeful today's sentencing can help these families move forward. Gun violence remains far too common in our communities. Yet again, we see in this case how the prevalence of guns can turn disputes violent, even among those who were apparently friends," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. "As a community, this violence must spur us to action. We will continue to work with law enforcement to aggressively prosecute violence and hold accountable those who are responsible. But arrest and prosecution will never be enough. We must address the issues that make violence a viable decision for far too many people. We must seek to prevent violence before another life is lost or another family is shattered."
The criminal complaint stated that officers found a running sedan stuck in a snowbank on the 2000 block of Sheridan Avenue North on the afternoon of Feb. 10, with two dead men in the front seat.
Investigators determined that Piggie had driven around with the men for several minutes before shooting the other passengers. Witnesses say they saw Piggie get out of the sedan after it crashed and flee the area, with surveillance video backing up their accounts.
Officers later executed a search warrant of Piggie's residence, where they found various types of illegal drugs, .40-caliber bullets, and thousands of dollars in cash.