Minnesota Teen Sentenced For 15 Year Old Girl’s Drug OD Death

Hastings, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Minnesota teenager has been sentenced to six months in jail for his involvement in the drug overdose death of a 15-year-old girl.

19-year-old Parker Benson entered a guilty plea to a third-degree murder charge in February. The Bloomington man was accused of selling pills containing fentanyl to the teenage murder victim the day before she was found dead in her family's West St. Paul home in August 2022.

READ MORE: Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Minnesota Teen Girl’s Fentanyl-Induced Death

Benson was 17 years old at the time of the girls death but was later certified to face charges in adult court.

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According to the criminal complaint, the young victim's mother provided the investigators with her daughter's cell phone, which included a Snapchat conversation between the 15-year-old and Benson during which they arranged the drug deal. The evidence also included GPS location data that tracked both Benson's cell phone and the overdose victim's cell phone to a meeting location the night before her death.

Benson was sentenced this afternoon in Dakota County Court. In addition to the jail sentence, he was given a stayed 90 month prison term that he could be required to serve if he fails to meet the terms of his probation over the next 10 years.

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