A man from Minnesota was re-sentenced on Friday to two concurrent life sentences with the possibility of release for the killing of a mother and her 10-year-old son in Minneapolis in 2008, according to officials who confirmed the information to Fox News Digital.
Brian Flowers, 32, was involved in a crime at the age of 16, assisting his accomplice Stephon Edward Thompson in the tragic deaths of Katricia Daniels and her son, Robert Shepard, 10, according to a statement from the Ramsey County District Attorney’s office sent to Fox News Digital.
Flowers’ initial sentence did not include the option of parole. However, due to modifications in federal and state laws between 2012 and 2016 under the Obama administration, and because Flowers was prosecuted as a minor, he is now able to be considered for release.
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He would have been eligible for parole in 2038 (30 years later) under the new laws, but a state law change last year that says convicts serving concurrent life sentences are eligible in 15 years makes him eligible now.
John Choi, the Ramsey County District Attorney, mentioned in a statement sent to Fox News Digital that the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that Flowers had a lesser role in the murders compared to Thompson.
According to him, his office determined that Flowers should serve his sentences concurrently instead of consecutively, as initially ordered.
“Since we were not part of the lengthy and controversial legal battle surrounding this case for more than eleven years, we were able to assess Mr. Flowers’ guilt objectively.
Looking back, we also considered previous court decisions and the major legal changes at both Federal and State levels during this extended legal process,” Choi explained.
He emphasized the importance of aligning with the community’s values and providing guidance to prosecutors on decision-making in light of legal changes.
Minnesota Supreme Court Acknowledges Reduced Role
It is worth noting that, upon appeal, the Minnesota Supreme Court found in 2010 that Mr. Flowers played a smaller role in this case compared to his co-defendant. After examining this case for the past 10 months, we reached the same conclusion.
As a result, we resolved the case in a way that acknowledged his reduced culpability, brought an end to the legal proceedings, and considered the minimal difference between consecutive and concurrent sentences for Mr. Flowers due to legislative changes in 2023.
Flowers had to agree to withdraw his motion for a new trial and stop his post-conviction legal actions, according to Choi’s office.
Fox News Digital has contacted Choi’s office and the Hennepin County Court where he was resentenced for more information.
According to his office, the modifications to the law would make a person serving two life sentences consecutively eligible in 60 years, and someone serving concurrently eligible in 30 years.
In 2017, Flowers had his life sentences adjusted to be served concurrently.
What occurred in the 3600 block of 1st Avenue South on June 12, 2008, was truly horrifying.
It seems Flowers had a smaller part compared to his co defendant; the Minnesota Supreme Court considered it a closely contested case, according to the Hennepin County District Court.