Man Gets 36 Years in Prison for 2020 Eagan Homicide
A Saint Paul man found guilty by a jury of 2nd-degree murder was sentenced to more than 36 years in prison on Friday.
Robert Lee Baker, 30, was found guilty in April 2022 and had been charged after the fatal shooting on Nov. 9, 2020
Around 9 p.m. that night, Eagan officers were called to a report of shots fired at a hotel.
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One of the 911 callers reported there was a male laying on the ground outside and a red car was seen leaving the hotel at a high rate of speed.
Officers found the victim and, despite lifesaving efforts, Maurice Antonio Anderson, 29, of Minneapolis was pronounced dead at the scene. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner later determined that Anderson was shot a total of 11 times.
Officers were able to locate a vehicle matching the description given by witnesses in the area shortly after the shooting.
The vehicle was stopped and the front seat passenger was identified as Baker. Both occupants of the vehicle were arrested. Officers observed a handgun inside the vehicle and a small plastic baggie containing pills on the driver’s seat.
During questioning, Baker told officers that he and the driver went to the Hampton Inn to meet with another individual, only identified as J.S., to get cash to buy Percocet, a prescription pain medication.
Baker told officers that shortly after meeting with J.S., three people robbed him and the other occupant of the vehicle. Baker initially told officers that the suspects in the robbery were armed with guns. Baker told officers that he got out of the vehicle and chased the suspects while shooting. Baker said he didn’t recall how many times he fired the gun.
While processing the crime scene, officers found 16 discharged shell casings, consistent with the .40-caliber handgun that was found in the vehicle with Baker.
Baker has previous criminal convictions for 1st-degree aggravated robbery and 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon from 2012 and was legally ineligible to possess firearms.
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