HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 01-27 Arrests made in deadly Maplewood home invasion MAPLEWOOD REVIEW 1/27/2016 Arrests made in deadly Maplewood home invasion I Lillie Suburban Newspapers-LillieNews.com
Arrests made in d
Maplewood home invasion
Submitted by admin on Wed,01/27/2016- 12:OOam
By: Elizabeth Jaeger ppqq
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On Tuesday, Jan. 19, Ernest Atchison Jr. of St. Paul and Bradley Cook of North Branch were arrested and charged with
second-degree murder in connection with a Maplewood home invasion that turned deadly on Nov. 7.
The two 35-year-olds are being charged alongside Brandon Cooper, 30, announced Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. The
three men are believed to be part of a criminal ring, mostly performing burglaries in the area.
All three are accused of participating in a home invasion in Maplewood,during which the homeowner Justin Niles Wright,
31,was shot and killed.
According to a witness,the three broke into the house using a screwdriver to pry open the door. The witness also said that one
of the men unscrewed a light bulb from a neighbor's motion-activated outdoor light.
According to the criminal complaint, officers suspect Cooper was the shooter, and that he and the victim were acquaintances.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension analysts said they matched Cooper's DNA to a 9mm handgun recovered by
Maplewood police.As of press time, authorities were still searching for Cooper.
Wright had two daughters,who were away on a sleepover the night of the shooting.
A light bulb was located lying in the grass in the back yard at the time of the initial report in November. DNA was taken from the
bulb and reportedly matched to Atchison. The match supplied further cause to link him to the murder and burglary, according to
the criminal complaint.
Atchison chose not to give a statement after his arrest without a lawyer present. He is currently in the Ramsey County Jail and
bail is set at$1 million.
He has a criminal history of three convictions for burglary in the second degree, a felony conviction for criminal damage to
property, a felony conviction for receiving stolen property, a conviction for a violation of the controlled substance law in the fifth
degree, a felony theft conviction and a conviction for fleeing police in a motor vehicle, according to a statement released by the
Ramsey County Attorney's Office.
Elizabeth Jaeger can be reached at ejaeger @lillienews.com or at 651-748-7814.
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