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Minneapolis man convicted of killing ex-girlfriend fails to show up to court, sentencing delayed

By WCCO Staff,
Adam Duxter
Adam Duxter
Reporter
Born and raised in Metro Detroit - Adam's journalism career has taken him across the Midwest. He and his wife settled in Minnesota in the fall of 2021.
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Adam Duxter

/ CBS Minnesota

The sentencing for a Minneapolis man who shot and killed his ex-girlfriend minutes after she posted about his abuse on social media is pushed back to Monday, after he failed to show up to court on Friday morning.

David Wright, 51, was convicted by a jury on Wednesday of first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree murder, second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm. The first-degree premeditated murder conviction automatically triggers a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Wright killed 34-year-old Mariah Samuels in September just feet from her front door in the Willard-Hay neighborhood of Minneapolis. Family members said the two had dated for a few months before she broke up with him.

Though the judge asked Wright's attorney if he was ill or just refusing to show up to court, the attorney declined to answer, citing attorney-client privilege.

"This is why people think they can murder people in front of their dad's house and get away with it. There's no repercussions for these things, they don't care about these women who are dying on a daily basis. And the least that they could have done is demanded that he come over here in shackles like the monster that he is," said Samuels' sister Simone Hunter on Friday. "I'm astounded."

After his conviction, Hunter called Wright a "dangerous person" who "should never see the light of day again."

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty spoke strongly against the judge, who she says could have forced Wright to attend.

"It's manipulative. It's causing continued trauma," Moriarty said.

Friends and family say this isn't the first time in this trial Wright has acted out, from removing himself from the stand to missing court dates.

Samuels' family has accused the Minneapolis Police Department of not doing enough to keep her safe, as she had a restraining order against him. 

Police Chief Brian O'Hara last year ordered a thorough review of her case and directed officers to be retrained on domestic violence response by the end of 2025.

For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.

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