Minnesota Man Was Jealous of His Ex-Girlfriend’s New Boyfriend, So He Shot and Killed Him
June 29 2023, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
A Minnesota man was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a jury convicted him of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Around 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 23, 2021, officers responded to reports of a shooting in St. Paul. Once at the scene, officers found 48-year-old Demond Bingham lying beside a car with a gunshot wound to his chest, as Front Page Detectives reported.
He was pronounced dead at the scene and a medical examiner determined Bingham died of a gunshot wound to the chest.
Police talked with witnesses, who said there was an argument between Bingham and 41-year-old Larry Rucker before the gunfire.
Bingham’s girlfriend told police Rucker was a former boyfriend who was jealous of her relationship with the victim. She said Rucker was arguing with Bingham earlier that night, KSTP reported.
Bingham left their apartment and then the girlfriend heard gunshots about five minutes later. She went out and found him lying on the ground, officials said.
Bingham’s cousin told police that Bingham said he didn’t feel safe and that he was “being played with” because of issues with Rucker, KTSP reported.
His cousin went to pick up Bingham on the day of the shooting when they saw Rucker was nearby, KTSP reported. They started to walk in the direction of the man, but he said he “wasn’t talking” and told them to not come any closer.
The cousin turned around, but Bingham continued walking toward Rucker. He saw Rucker “reach for something” and then heard two gunshots before he got in his vehicle and drove off, authorities said.
Surveillance video showed three shots being fired by someone not visible in the frame, but then Rucker can be seen firing a fourth shot, believed to be the final shot that killed Bingham, police said.
On April 27, a jury convicted Rucker on two counts of second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm, but he was only sentenced for one of the murder charges, officials said.
Then on June 27, Judge Kellie Charles sentenced Rucker to 20 years in prison. He will concurrently serve a five-year sentence for illegal possession of a firearm.