Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom announced that 18-year-old St. Paul resident Trashaun Morris, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident and was certified to stand trial as an adult in September of 2018, was sentenced on Monday to 128 months in prison by Judge Joseph Carter in connection with the deadly shooting incident which occurred in Inver Grove Heights on March 24, 2018, that resulted in the death of 19-year-old Billy Ray Robles of St. Paul. Morris pled guilty May 21, 2019 to murder in the 2nd degree, without intent to kill. Three other persons, 2 juveniles and 18-year-old Taishawn Taquan Smith pled guilty to charges of rioting in the 1st or 2nd degree related to the incident. Backstrom praised Tori Stewart, the Assistant County Attorney who prosecuted this case. Backstrom thanked the Inver Grove Heights Police Department for their investigation into this matter, and the multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which did the forensic analysis of evidence in this incident. Additional facts pertaining to this case can be found in the criminal complaint, which is available online at DakotaCounty.us.
(Photo: Trashaun Morris. Source: Dakota County)
