Guilty Plea in Quarter Century Old Rochester Rape Case
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - One of the two men accused of sexually assaulting a Rochester teenager in 1994 worked out a plea deal with prosecutors on the day his trial was scheduled to get underway at the Olmsted County Courthouse.
40-year-old Derrick Shumpert entered Alford pleas on Tuesday to a felony count of false imprisonment, a gross misdemeanor 5th-degree criminal sexual conduct charge, and a misdemeanor assault charge. In exchange, prosecutors dropped two counts of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct. An Alford plea means Shumpert does not admit guilt but acknowledges there is enough evidence to convict him. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 27th.
He and 40-year-old Rashad Norwood were accused of sexually assaulting a juvenile girl in June 1994 at a Rochester residence. At the time, Norwood was 14 years old and Shumpert was 15 years old. Both men were charged in the case after the victim reported the attack in June of 2017. At last report, Norwood’s trial on multiple felony counts of criminal sexual conduct is currently being held in Olmsted County Court.
Norwood has an extensive history of serious criminal offenses. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a Blue Earth County murder conviction in 1999. He was also sent to prison in 2010 for a drug conviction in Dodge County and four years later, he was sent back to prison for a drug conviction in the Twin Cities. He is currently serving a 14-year sentence in federal prison for a drug-related conviction stemming from his arrest in Rochester in July 2017.
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