Siblings charged in botched drug robbery turned homicide in Payne-Phalen neighborhood

Two siblings have been charged in connection with a homicide in St. Paul’s Payne-Phalen neighborhood.

Derek Alonzo Mitchell, 35, and Ryshaun Ca’Mia Rhodes, 36, each face one count of second-degree murder.

St. Paul police were called to the area of Edgerton Street near Case Avenue East on a report of a shooting shortly after 9 p.m. on Dec. 4. According to a criminal complaint, 49-year-old Michael D. Tucker was found with a gunshot wound to his back and didn’t have a pulse. He was pronounced deceased on the way to the hospital.

RELATED: Man dies after shooting in St. Paul, police say 

Officers found a spent 9mm shell casing and two winter hats near where Tucker’s body was found.

Several witnesses saw a newer SUV in the neighborhood before the shooting. A license plate reader identified an SUV belonging to a man who is in the process of divorcing Rhodes. Rhodes had been stopped in the SUV as recently as October, court documents state.

Tucker’s girlfriend told police that Tucker had asked for a ride to the tobacco store. Tucker saw a black SUV pull up on Edgerton Street and said, “She is here. I have to go grab something from her.”

When he returned to his girlfriend’s vehicle, he was carrying a small package, which his girlfriend suspected was drugs, according to court documents. They then went to the tobacco store and returned to Tucker’s home.

When they got home, the woman said Tucker’s phone kept ringing with an unusual ringtone. Tucker told the woman to lock their bedroom door after he left. The woman said she didn’t see or hear anything until she went outside to check on Tucker and saw police giving him first aid. According to court documents, the woman didn’t know who Tucker went to meet outside or anyone who would want to hurt him.

Investigators found messages and calls with “Lois Griffin” and “Lois/Holly” (mizz-teddy) before the murder. The “Lois Griffin” Facebook account was traced to Rhodes.

Authorities believed Tucker met with Rhodes before he was murdered. Rhodes’ phone was found to be near the scene around the time of the murder. The phone left the area within minutes of the murder and returned to Rhodes’ home.

According to court documents, Rhodes’ phone called Mitchell’s phone five times before she left home and headed to St. Paul on the night of the murder. Her phone also called Mitchell twice after the murder.

When authorities executed a search warrant at Rhodes’ home, she tried to run away but was arrested. Investigators found a 9mm pistol in a safe at the home, court documents state.

In an interview with investigators, Rhodes said she and Tucker had been talking on Facebook for about a year about Tucker doing some tattoo work on her. She said she had gone to meet him to discuss the tattoo but that “he seemed to think she was there for a sexual hookup.” She claimed that she left and that she “didn’t have anything to do with that man being hurt, and that’s the God’s honest truth,” court documents state.

Rhodes eventually admitted that she and Tucker had gotten into an argument and said Tucker pulled a firearm on her and tried to rob her. However, she said she pulled out her firearm and pulled the trigger, but the gun didn’t fire. As Tucker tried to leave the SUV, Rhodes shot him, she said, adding that she threw his gun on Interstate 694 on her way to Brooklyn Park.

Rhodes’ ex-husband called the police and said Rhodes and Mitchell were together on the night of the murder and had asked to meet at a gas station.

When Rhodes and Mitchell got to the gas station, Rhodes was visibly upset but wouldn’t say what happened. Rhodes’ ex-husband brought her home.

Later, Mitchell showed up at their home. He said he and Rhodes had met up with Tucker to sell him drugs, but that Tucker pulled out a gun and tried to rob Rhodes. Mitchell said he emerged from the back seat and tried to shoot Tucker, but there was no bullet in the chamber, court documents state. Tucker dropped his gun and shouted that it was fake.

As Tucker got out of the SUV and started to run away, Mitchell got out of the SUV and shot him, he told Rhodes’ ex-husband.

Mitchell was arrested on Wednesday and eventually gave a similar story to investigators.

Rhodes then told police that Mitchell came to her with an opportunity to make easy money. Tucker had agreed to buy $700 worth of cocaine but wanted to try a sample. After trying a sample, Tucker and Rhodes argued about the quality, and Tucker tried to rob her, she said. Mitchell then emerged from the back seat and tried to shoot Tucker, but the gun didn’t fire. Mitchell chambered a round and shot Tucker.

Rhodes claimed she told Mitchell he didn’t need to shoot Tucker.
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