Richfield Man Receives 262 Months for Deadly 2011 Shooting

A Richfield man was sentenced to 262 months in prison for his role in a 2011 shooting that left Delwin Cooper dead.

Kashaun Damon Pierce, 34, was sentenced by Judge David Duffy for his role in the murder of Delwin Cooper, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced in a release Friday. Pierce pleaded guilty on Monday to aiding and abetting murder in the second degree. 

According to the release:

On November 12, 2011, police were called to 44th Street East and 33rd Avenue South on a shooting call.  The victim had been shot multiple times and was declared dead at the scene. An autopsy determined that the victim suffered 12 gunshot wounds. 

Witnesses reported multiple men arguing prior to the shooting. Two cars, a BMW and a Cadillac STS, were seen fleeing the scene.

During the investigation, police obtained the victim’s cell phone records, which revealed numerous text messages to a Minneapolis phone number ultimately linked to Pierce.  The messages showed that a meeting was set between Cooper and Pierce. 

Officers later located the Cadillac STS, which was registered to Pierce and the victim's BMW, which had been destroyed by fire.  During a search of the defendant's Cadillac, the police located the victim's blood as well as further evidence of multiple gunshots being fired within the car.

Pierce was eventually arrested in Iowa and transported back to Hennepin County to face the murder charge. When officers caught up to Pierce, they noted that Pierce's eyebrows had been singed, an injury consistent with being burned.  Pierce later admitted starting the BMW on fire.

Janette Pliego, Pierce's girlfriend at the time, has pleaded guilty to aiding an offender after the fact for her attempts to mislead the police investigation.  Pliego is set to be sentenced on March 27, 2013.  Additional people involved in this murder have not been identified.

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