(UPDATE) - Members of an Olmsted County Jury returned a guilty verdict against 41-year-old Mustafa Bush this afternoon. The Rochester man was convicted of first-degree murder involving a pattern of domestic violence and second-degree murder with intent. The jury acquitted him of first-degree murder with premeditation. His conviction carries a sentence of life in prison.

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The fate of a Rochester man charged with murder is now in the hands of the jury. 

Read More: Grand Jury Upgrades Charges in Rochester Christmas Murder Case 

Closing arguments were presented by the prosecution and defense on Monday morning. The jury was given the case around noon, according to Olmsted County Court Executive Support Supervisor Tiffany Hawkins. 

The trial began on October 20, nearly two years after the Christmas time fatal shooting of 41-year-old Kimberly Robinson. 

Jury Now Deliberating in Rochester Murder Trial

Law enforcement found the Rochester woman’s body in the ditch along a rural northwest Rochester road on December 26, 2022. 

41-year-old Mustafa Rahshad Bush, who the charges say was with Robinson the last time she was seen alive, faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder. 

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The criminal complaint says investigators learned that Bush had been living with Robinson at a residence in southeast Rochester during the two years preceding her death. 

The charges also indicate that investigators spoke with a family member who told them that Bush had confided in her that he had hurt his girlfriend.

Another witness told investigators they saw Bush loading a large and very heavy suitcase into his vehicle late Christmas night, the charges say. 

Mustafa Bush- Minnesota Dept. of Corrections photo
Mustafa Bush- Minnesota Dept. of Corrections photo
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The criminal complaint says investigators later found blood evidence in the vehicle, along with about a half-pound of cocaine

Court records indicate Bush had previously spent about 14 years in prison for fatally shooting a Rochester man in 2006. He was discharged from prison in 2020 on supervised release. 

A pretrial filing indicates the judge presiding over the case granted a defense motion to prohibit the prosecution from mentioning or referencing Bush’s murder conviction.

More Minnesota News:

$25,000 Rewards Offered in Two Rochester Cold Case Murder Investigations

The Rochester Police Department is hoping to identify those responsible for the deaths of April Sorenson and Robert Volgmann.

Gallery Credit: Photos supplied by Rochester Police Departmentt

 

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