A deceptive couple has been found guilty for orchestrating a fraudulent home viewing to trap an estate agent, leading to her abduction and subsequent tragic death in an alleyway.
Akeem Wiggins and Elsa Segura were convicted for enticing Monique Baugh, 28, to visit a property on Maple Grove in Minnesota, USA, on December 31, 2019. Upon her arrival, she was abducted by two individuals who forced her into a U-haul.
Tragically, she was later discovered lifeless in an alleyway, her hands bound with duct tape after being shot by her abductors, who then targeted her boyfriend in a subsequent assault.
Reportedly, the boyfriend, who was also shot but survived, identified Wiggins as a potential threat. Wiggins’ 2021 conviction was overturned by the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2024 due to flawed jury instructions.
After a retrial, Wiggins has been reconvicted on multiple charges, including aiding and abetting first-degree murder, aiding and abetting murder with kidnapping, and aiding and abetting premeditated murder.
Furthermore, Wiggins was found guilty of aiding and abetting attempted premeditated murder, aiding and abetting kidnapping for severe bodily harm, and aiding and abetting murder while committing kidnapping.
Segura, who was in a relationship with Wiggins during the kidnapping, pleaded guilty to kidnapping for causing severe bodily harm in 2024. Two additional defendants, Cedric Berry and Berry Davis, were convicted in 2021 on similar charges.
Both Berry and Davis were convicted for aiding and abetting premeditated murder, attempted premeditated murder, kidnapping, and murder while committing kidnapping. In a statement, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty expressed sympathy for Ms. Baugh’s family and commended the jury and trial team for securing the conviction.
Wiggins has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, as have Berry and Davis, while Segura has been sentenced to 240 months in jail.