Two men charged in north Minneapolis murder still on the run
MINNEAPOLIS — Two men have been charged in connection to the murder of a 37-year-old man in north Minneapolis last month.
Lavester Breham, 34, of Sauk Village, Illinois, and Dandre Franklin, 32, of Crystal, were each charged with one count of second-degree murder. Both have yet to be arrested.
On the evening of Dec. 19, 2023, officers were called to the 900 block of Newton Avenue North, according to police, where they found a seriously injured man inside a car. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim was later identified as Mikiyel Deshone Patton, of Minneapolis.
Police say information led them to believe the shooter fled into an abandoned home nearby. SWAT team members eventually raided the residence, but no one was inside.
According to a criminal complaint, police obtained surveillance video from the area that showed a Honda CR-V arrive at 915 Newton Avenue North around 6:30 p.m. A short time later, police say several muzzle flashes were seen coming from inside the vehicle. The video allegedly shows the driver then exiting the vehicle as another man ran up, opened the passenger door and fired a single gunshot into the car. The two men then fled the area.
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Investigators learned that the vehicle the crime occurred in was part of a separate investigation being conducted by the ATF, as well as the two men associated with the vehicle — Breham and Franklin.
As part of the ATF's investigation, a camera had been placed near a house in Brooklyn Park where both men were known to stay. A review of the footage allegedly showed the men cleaning the CR-V approximately two hours before the murder. Police say that most of the cleaning "was focused on the door handles and other areas that the defendants might touch." They were also wearing gloves as they cleaned.
A short time later, police say Breham drove away in the CR-V, while Franklin left in a BMW.
Investigators were able to connect the two to the scene of the murder through location data from the men's cell phones.
Following the shooting, police say Franklin and Breham traveled to Prior Lake, where Franklin's girlfriend lived. The two allegedly drove the BMW to her house before the car was returned to a dealership, as it was a "loaner" vehicle.
Investigators used DNA comparison analysis on the cartridge casings collected from the scene of the shooting and known samples of both the men's DNA. Franklin's DNA was found to be a "major male DNA profile in a DNA mixture from two individuals." Breham's DNA was found to be "a possible contributor to a mixture of DNA from three individuals."
If convicted, both men face a minimum sentence of three years.
Note: The video above originally aired on Dec. 20, 2023, before charges were filed.