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The family of a woman allegedly shot to death by her ex-boyfriend in Minneapolis in September say the new charges filed against the suspect are bittersweet.
Mariah Samuels, 34, was shot 10 times on Sept. 14 outside her family home in north Minneapolis. Her ex-boyfriend, David Wright, 51, has been arrested in her killing. Samuels had filed a report after Wright assaulted her a few weeks before her death. She also filed for an order of protection and reported to police when Wright violated it the morning of her killing.
Simone Hunter, Samuels’ sister, said the killing has shaken the foundations of their family.
“Now this will be our first Thanksgiving, our first Christmas, celebrating without a very important member of our family due to MPD’s lack of response,” Hunter said. “This story is so plain-cut that it’s almost painful to relive, because we know that the steps that were taken should have resulted in an arrest, should have resulted in a warrant, should have resulted with David not coming out of jail for the rest of his life.”
Hunter said it’s especially hard to accept the loss because she believes Samuels did everything she was supposed to in order to stay safe.
“Personally, I have been feeling like I’ve been living in the Twilight Zone since Sept. 14, knowing that I’m not ever going to see her again, knowing that my nephews right now are mourning her so heavily that I don’t think they can think about anything else,” Hunter said. “I’ve been trying to keep things to my daily tasks, but sometimes it’s the moments in between that make it hard.”
Nov. 24, the Hennepin County Attorney added two counts of first-degree murder against Wright: one count for premeditated murder and another for a past pattern of domestic abuse. A conviction on either charge would lead to a sentence of life without parole under Minnesota law. Wright was originally charged with second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement that her office is committed to doing everything it can to hold Wright accountable so the community will be protected from him.
“Our office has been conducting a thorough review of the case and all submitted evidence,” Moriarty said. “When the review indicated these additional charges were appropriate due to available evidence that meets the standard necessary in court, we amended the complaint.”
Minneapolis police Chief Brian O’Hara has ordered a review of the case, is requiring all officers to be retrained in handling domestic violence incidents and is forming a domestic violence response team with partners, including social workers and advocates. O’Hara also blamed inadequate staffing for his department’s failure to help Samuels.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who is in charge of the police department according to the city’s charter, has said that Samuels’ death is a tragedy that Minneapolis police could have handled better, but he said that he’s glad the police chief is making changes.
Samuels’ supporters called on the police department to change how they deal with domestic abuse cases, especially in light of the cases of Allison Lussier and Davis Moturi. Lussier was an Indigenous woman who was found dead in her apartment in 2024, and Moturi is a Black man shot by a neighbor after months of harassment. Both Moturi and Lussier reported their harassers to police, but their supporters say their pleas were ignored.
Jae Yates, a member of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, said the Minneapolis Police Department needs to be held accountable for what they see as brushing off Samuels’ attempts to get help.
”To say that Mariah did not want to press charges, which the family disputes, does not absolve police of the responsibility to enforce an order of protection,” Yates said. “If [Minneapolis police] had listened to Mariah, this tragedy would never have happened.”
Wright was due to appear in court on Tuesday, but that appearance is being rescheduled due to the new charges.
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