Cody Fohrenkam faces sentencing after guilty plea in Deshaun Hill Jr. killing case in Minneapolis

A case that moved through conviction, reversal and retrial

Cody Fohrenkam is scheduled to be sentenced after entering a guilty plea to second-degree intentional murder in the 2022 killing of Deshaun Hill Jr., a 15-year-old Minneapolis North High School student-athlete.

The sentencing is set for 3:30 p.m. March 2, following a plea reached after a retrial had already begun in Hennepin County District Court. Under the terms of the agreement, Fohrenkam faces a prison sentence of 340 months, or more than 28 years.

What happened to Deshaun Hill Jr.

Hill was shot and killed on Feb. 9, 2022, near Golden Valley Road and Penn Avenue North on Minneapolis’ North Side, a short distance from North High School. Investigators tied the case to surveillance video depicting Hill walking while wearing a boot from a prior injury. The video showed Hill passing close to a man on the sidewalk before the man turned, fired multiple shots and fled.

Hill’s death drew broad community attention, in part because of his standing at school as a quarterback and honor-roll student.

Why the case returned to court

Fohrenkam was originally convicted in early 2023 and received a 38.5-year prison sentence. That conviction was later reversed by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which ordered a new trial.

The appeals ruling centered on two issues: arguments that prosecutors engaged in misconduct during closing arguments and questions over whether statements attributed to Fohrenkam were lawfully obtained. The court concluded the state did not meet its burden to show the detention underlying a custodial interview was lawful, meaning the statements should not have been admitted at the first trial.

After the reversal, prosecutors moved to pursue further review and prepared to retry the case if the conviction was not reinstated. A retrial proceeded, but the case resolved through a guilty plea shortly after the proceedings began.

What the plea agreement changes

The plea agreement establishes a set prison term and is designed to bring the case to a close without continuing litigation over issues that would have been contested at a second trial. The agreement also limits the ability to raise certain claims on appeal that could otherwise arise from retrial proceedings.

• Victim: Deshaun Hill Jr., 15
• Charge resolved by plea: second-degree intentional murder
• Scheduled sentencing: March 2 at 3:30 p.m.
• Agreed prison term: 340 months

The case’s procedural history underscores how evidentiary and trial-conduct rulings can reshape outcomes even after a jury conviction, while still allowing prosecutors to seek resolution through retrial or negotiated plea.