Minnesota Man Sentenced – Prank With Small Laser Led to Murder

Austin, MN (KROC-AM News) - It was sentencing day today for an Austin man convicted of murdering a woman several years ago.

A judge in Mower County this afternoon ordered 29-year-old Me'Darian McGruder to serve 386 months, or just over 32 years in prison for the death of 20-year-old Tyesha Gills in 2021. According to court documents, witnesses told police that McGruder shot the young woman in the chest after he became upset after warning her to stop pointing a small laser at him.

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The criminal complaint in the case indicates McGruder fled from the victim's home immediately after the fatal shooting and was not apprehended for several months. He was eventually charged with two counts of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and a felony count of domestic assault.

After waiving his right to a jury trial, the evidence in the case was presented to a Mower County judge in February. The judge later issued a verdict that found McGruder guilty of nearly all of the charges. Court records indicate the third-degree murder count was dismissed.

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