L
yndon Wiggins is set to face a new trial after the Minnesota Supreme Court overturned his 2022 first‑degree murder convictions, citing faulty jury instructions. The case centers on the 2019 kidnapping and murder of 28‑year‑old Minneapolis real‑estate agent Monique Baugh, who was lured to a fake showing on New Year’s Eve to locate her boyfriend, Jon Mitchell‑Momoh, the father of her two young children.
Baugh’s daughters were 4 and 2 when she was taken. The kidnappers used a U‑Haul truck to hold her hostage, forcing her to reveal Mitchell‑Momoh’s address. The attackers then shot Mitchell‑Momoh three times—he survived—before Baugh was bound with duct tape, shot three times, and dumped in a north‑Minneapolis alley. Her body showed scratches, bruises, a chipped tooth, and ripped acrylic nails. All four perpetrators were convicted of aiding and abetting first‑degree murder, attempted first‑degree murder, kidnapping, and first‑degree murder while committing kidnapping, and received life sentences without parole.
Wiggins and former probation officer Segura were tried separately. Jury instructions allowed the court to convict them of the same crimes as co‑conspirators Berry and Davis without proving direct involvement. The Supreme Court reversed those convictions, ruling the instructions misrepresented the law. Wiggins’ retrial now hinges on proving his actual role in the plot. Segura pleaded guilty to kidnapping, admitting he set the plan in motion, and received 20 years, with release scheduled for 2033. Berry and Davis remain in prison, having failed to overturn their convictions.
The retrial will involve a jury of 16, selected over a week, and a witness list exceeding 150 names. Both sides plan to call alleged co‑conspirators. The case has become the fourth trial the Baugh family has endured; her parents, Wanda and Frank Baugh, have repeatedly described the convicted as “the purest form of evil” and have taken custody of their granddaughters.
Complicating matters, attorney Sarah Gad is under investigation. A search warrant filed in Hennepin County alleges Gad smuggled drug‑soaked legal documents into Wiggins’ jail cell. Gad denies the claim, calling it a smear campaign orchestrated by the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office says the warrant was publicly available and denies leaking it. No charges have been filed, and the investigation remains open. Gad has filed a motion to dismiss the charges, arguing that media coverage and prosecutorial conduct have undermined Wiggins’ right to a fair trial.
During a pretrial hearing, Gad alleged that the sheriff’s office violated attorney‑client privilege by seizing notebooks and other documents containing private communications between her and Wiggins. She claimed Wiggins could no longer access his case materials in jail, impairing his defense. Judge Mark Kappelhoff ordered the sheriff’s office to return the seized materials but denied the motion to dismiss the case. Gad subsequently sought to replace the judge, but the request was denied.
The retrial is scheduled to begin early this week, with opening statements expected soon. The case remains a focal point of Minnesota’s criminal justice system, highlighting issues of jury instruction, attorney‑client privilege, and the pursuit of justice for a young mother and her children.
