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STATE OF MINNESOTA IN SUPREME COURT A09-1077

Hennepin County

Meyer, J. Concurring, Page and Anderson, Paul H., JJ. Took no part, Stras, J.

State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Stafon Edward Thompson, Appellant. ________________________ Lori Swanson, Attorney General, St. Paul, Minnesota; and Michael O. Freeman, Hennepin County Attorney, Michael Richardson, Assistant County Attorney, Minneapolis, Minnesota, for respondent. David W. Merchant, Chief Appellate Public Defender, Bridget Kearns Sabo, Assistant State Public Defender, St. Paul, Minnesota, for appellant. ________________________ SYLLABUS 1. The district court did not err in admitting a recorded statement made by the Filed: September 16, 2010 Office of Appellate Courts

defendant because a person in the defendants circumstance would not have reasonably believed he was in custody to the degree associated with a formal arrest.

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The district court did not err in admitting a recorded statement made by a

juvenile offender after the juvenile was permitted to call his mother, a Miranda warning was given, and the juvenile chose to speak with the investigators. 3. The district court did not abuse its discretion in finding that computer-

generated images of a crime scene were helpful and there was no unfair prejudice to the defendant. Affirmed. OPINION MEYER, Justice. Stafon Edward Thompson was charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder and two counts of first-degree murder while committing aggravated robbery for the deaths of Katricia Daniels and her 10-year-old son, Robert Shepard. Thompson was found guilty by a jury of all four counts and sentenced to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of release. Thompson directly appealed his convictions, claiming the district court erred in admitting certain statements he made to the police and in admitting computer-generated images of the crime scene. He also claims his trial counsel was ineffective, and that consecutive life sentences for a 17-year-old constitute cruel and unusual punishment. We affirm the convictions. J.W. lived in an apartment in south Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his fianc

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