Man charged in fatal train shooting

Jaquan Darrian Edwards now sits in the Hennepin County Jail facing one count of second-degree murder. The charge stems from a shooting on the Metro Light Rail Green Line that took place in early October.

Police found the body of Joseph Denny Nezperce inside a train car at Westgate Station. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the neck. Court documents indicate the incident occurred between the Stadium Village and Prospect Park stations on October 3.

Surveillance footage places Edwards on the train at 8:48 p.m. He entered at the U.S. Bank Stadium station and took a seat in the back of the car. About nine minutes later, Nezperce boarded at the East Bank station. He also sat in the rear, directly opposite Edwards. Video shows the two men speaking before Edwards fired three shots at Nezperce.

Edwards exited the train at the Prospect Park station around 9:02 p.m. Investigators later determined he had used a To-Go card to ride a bus just before boarding the light rail. Police also collected saliva from the platform where Edwards had been standing before entering the train.

Detectives traced Edwards to a home in Maplewood where he may reside with his mother. A car registered to his mother and linked to that address was stopped by White Bear Lake police on July 27. On October 20, officers recovered evidence from the residence that matched the DNA profile from the platform spit.

Minneapolis police announced the arrest on Friday. The DNA match helped link Edwards to the scene and supported the charges filed in court.

The case is currently under review in Hennepin County. No other dates have been scheduled for the defendant.