Lisa Kirkwood admonished the state court system Tuesday for failing to deliver sentences for Gabriel Kimbrough’s past crimes that were harsh enough to thwart his increasingly violent behavior.
Instead, it was allowed to escalate, she said, culminating in the 24-year-old’s role in the murder of Kirkwood’s granddaughter’s father last May in a marijuana deal gone bad.
Referring to Kimbrough as a “manipulator” and a “monster,” her voice boomed inside the quiet Ramsey County courtroom as she spoke during his sentencing hearing for one count of aiding and abetting unintentional second-degree murder in Brock Cecil Larson’s May 9, 2017, death.
She directed her anger at Kimbrough, ordering him to “be a man” and “look at (her).”
Kimbrough, who kept his eyes downcast during much of the hearing, briefly met her eyes at one point before his attorney, Robert Plesha, motioned for him to return his gaze to the table in front him.
Most of the woman’s remarks focused on what Kimbrough and his three co-conspirators took from her 2-year-old granddaughter when Kimbrough’s accomplice — Ryan Steven Fore — fatally shot her father near 333 Burgess Ave.
The four had concocted a plan to rob Larson, 36, that day under the guise they wanted to buy marijuana from him, according to court documents.
“He wanted to be there to smell her. … He wanted to be there to breathe on her. … He wanted to be there to kiss her, he wanted to be there to feed her. … He wanted to talk to her and teach her about growing up,” Kirkwood said of Brock’s ambitions as a father.
“(But) Gabriel took him away. … The sick monster … strip(ped) her of growing up with two parents.”
Larson’s mother and sister also spoke during the hearing. They described Larson as a man with a range of talents and interests including building houses, cutting hair and cooking, who most loved being a father, uncle, son and friend.
“My brother will never barge through my door again and say ‘Where the kids at?’ ‘Sis, what did you cook?’ “Where my plate at?’” Nicole Larson said, crying.
“Why him,” she continued. “My heart is broken and I am tired. I would give everything to bring him back.”
Toward the end of the hearing, Kimbrough was given his own chance to speak. He apologized.
“I want to say I am sincerely remorseful … even though I didn’t plan for this,” Kimbrough said. “No one deserves to be taken away from their relatives.”
Ramsey County Judge Mark Ireland sentenced Kimbrough according to the terms of the plea deal reached between the defense and the state, which called for a roughly 13-year sentence.
The prison term was a downward durational departure from state sentencing guidelines, which Kimbrough’s attorney said was justified given the “minimal role” his client played in what happened.
“Mr. Kimbrough was not the shooter … he was half a block away at the time of the shooting,” Plesha said.
Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Somah Yarney disputed that characterization, saying the only reason the state offered Kimbrough the deal was because of his willingness to plead guilty and testify against the other three defendants in the case.
“I do believe he had a very strong role … essentially setting up (the robbery),” Yarney said.
The shooter, Fore, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in April and is scheduled to be sentenced in July.
Edward Lamonte Williams pleaded guilty last December to the same charge for his role in the slaying and will be sentenced Thursday.
Paris Sjostrand pleaded guilty in April to aiding and abetting second-degree murder and will be sentenced in July.
Before his murder conviction, Kimbrough was twice convicted of first-degree aggravated robbery and once for possessing a pistol without a permit.