Lyndon Wiggins gets life without parole in Monique Baugh murder after third trial bid denied
Lyndon Akeem Wiggins was sentenced on Nov. 13, 2025 to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a Hennepin County jury reconvicted him on multiple counts — including aiding and abetting first‑degree premeditated murder, first‑degree murder during a kidnapping, attempted first‑degree murder and kidnapping to cause great bodily harm — in the 2019 killing of Minneapolis real estate agent Monique Baugh. The verdict in the retrial followed a Minnesota Supreme Court-ordered new trial, and a last‑minute 13‑page bid by Wiggins’ defense for a third retrial was rejected at sentencing; Judge Mark Kappelhoff called Wiggins the “criminal architect” of a cold, calculated scheme, while other co‑defendants have received life terms and accomplice Elsa Segura pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- Lyndon Akeem Wiggins was reconvicted on Nov. 3, 2025 on four counts, including aiding and abetting first-degree premeditated murder, attempted first-degree murder, kidnapping to cause great bodily harm, and first-degree murder while committing kidnapping.
- Jury selection for the retrial began Oct. 14, 2025; after nearly a three-week trial with closing arguments Oct. 31 the 12-member jury (six women, six men) deliberated about six hours and returned the guilty verdict Nov. 3, 2025.
- Wiggins testified in his own defense; prosecutors said he orchestrated the plot in a dispute with Jon Mitchell‑Momoh despite no direct texts tying him to planning, while the defense said the case relied on circumstantial cell‑tower location evidence (CSLI) and compelled testimony with no direct communications proving a murder‑for‑hire.
- The retrial followed a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that faulty jury instructions required a new trial in the earlier proceedings.
- Sentencing was initially set for Nov. 13, 2025; at that hearing Wiggins’ attorney filed a 13‑page motion seeking a third retrial alleging cumulative due‑process violations (including witness warnings, refusal to revisit CSLI suppression, emotional outbursts by the victim’s mother, and an unresolved recusal motion), and Judge Mark Kappelhoff took the motion under advisement rather than immediately sentencing.
- On Dec. 22, 2025 Judge Mark Kappelhoff imposed the mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, calling Wiggins the “criminal architect of a cold, calculated and cruel criminal scheme” and noting he showed no regard for the lives of Monique Baugh or her partner.
- Case context: co‑defendants Cedric Berry and Berry Davis have life‑without‑parole sentences upheld; Elsa Segura’s conviction was overturned but she later pleaded guilty to kidnapping and received a 20‑year sentence; Shante Berry received probation for aiding an offender.
- Victim details and reactions: Minneapolis real estate agent Monique Baugh was kidnapped and murdered in 2019 and her boyfriend was shot in front of their two young children; family members (including cousin Tange Baugh) and prosecutors publicly reacted to the verdict and to the defense’s late retrial motion.
đź“° Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
December 22, 2025
8:48 PM
Man sentenced to life in prison for murder of Minneapolis real estate agent
New information:
- Judge Mark Kappelhoff imposed a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole on Lyndon Wiggins for the 2019 kidnapping and murder of Minneapolis real estate agent Monique Baugh.
- In his sentencing remarks, Judge Kappelhoff called Wiggins the 'criminal architect of a cold, calculated and cruel criminal scheme' and said Wiggins showed no regard for the lives of Baugh or her partner.
- The article confirms that Wiggins’ November 2025 reconviction on aiding and abetting first-degree premeditated murder, attempted murder, kidnapping to commit great bodily harm, and first-degree murder during kidnapping has now resulted in formal life-without-parole punishment.
- It reiterates that co‑defendants Berry and Cedric Berry Davis received life-without-parole sentences and that accomplice Elsa Segura pleaded guilty to kidnapping and was sentenced to 20 years.
November 13, 2025
11:09 PM
Lyndon Wiggins’ defense files for third retrial in Monique Baugh murder at sentencing
New information:
- Wiggins’ attorney Sarah Gad filed a 13-page motion seeking another retrial on the day of sentencing.
- Judge Kappelhoff took the motion under advisement rather than proceeding directly to sentencing.
- Defense cites a 'cumulative due-process violation,' including alleged witness warnings, refusal to revisit CSLI suppression, allowing emotional outbursts by the victim’s mother before the jury, and continuing to preside despite an unresolved recusal motion.
- Prosecutor Paige Starkey publicly criticized the late motion’s impact on the victim’s family; Monique Baugh’s mother called the filing 'shenanigans.'
November 03, 2025
11:18 PM
Man found guilty in murder of Twin Cities real estate agent
New information:
- Sentencing is set for Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in Hennepin County District Court.
- Jury deliberated for about six hours, starting Friday afternoon and concluding around 2:30 p.m. Monday.
- Jury composition was six women and six men.
- Prosecutor Paige Starkey noted that co‑defendant Elsa Segura testified in this retrial, as did Wiggins.
- Article specifies charge details including attempted first‑degree murder and kidnapping to cause great bodily harm, and that Baugh’s boyfriend was shot in front of their two young children.
- On‑record reactions and quotes from Baugh’s family (cousin Tange Baugh) and the prosecution following the verdict.
9:29 PM
Minneapolis real estate agent murder re-trial ends with guilty verdict
New information:
- A Hennepin County jury on Nov. 3, 2025 found Lyndon Akeem Wiggins guilty on four counts, including aiding/abetting first-degree premeditated murder and first-degree murder while committing kidnapping.
- The retrial followed a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that faulty jury instructions required a new trial.
- Retrial timeline: jury selection began Oct. 14, 2025; verdict returned Nov. 3, 2025.
- Context updates: co-conspirator Elsa Segura’s conviction was overturned but she later pleaded guilty and received a 20-year sentence; Cedric Berry and Berry Davis’ life sentences were upheld; Shante Berry received probation for aiding an offender.
October 31, 2025
8:00 PM
Trial of alleged mastermind in real estate agent’s fatal shooting goes to jury
New information:
- After a nearly three-week trial, the case was sent to the jury following closing arguments on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.
- Defendant Lyndon Wiggins took the stand in his own defense.
- Jury composition is six women and six men.
- Charges to the jury include aiding and abetting first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, kidnapping to cause great bodily harm, and first-degree murder while committing a felony.
- Prosecutors argued Wiggins orchestrated the plot due to a dispute with Jon Mitchell-Momoh, while acknowledging no direct texts/messages tie him to planning.
- Defense argued the case relies on circumstantial cell-tower evidence and compelled testimony, with no direct communications linking Wiggins to a murder-for-hire.
- Article notes Wiggins is serving a 19-year federal sentence on a drug conviction.
October 14, 2025