Inset: Monique Baugh (Estes Funeral Chapel). Background: Lyndon Wiggins at his trial in the death of Baugh (KMSP).
Prosecutors in Minnesota have convicted the fourth and final defendant in a plot to lure a real estate agent to a house showing only to kidnap her in the back of a U-Haul and murder her in an alley.
A jury on Monday found 40-year-old Lyndon Wiggins guilty of aiding or abetting first-degree murder, aiding or abetting first-degree attempted murder, aiding or abetting kidnapping to commit great bodily harm and aiding or abetting first-degree murder while committing the crime of kidnapping. Wiggins and three others tricked 28-year-old real estate agent Monique Baugh on New Year's Eve 2019 into hosting a house showing before kidnapping and murdering her.
This is the second time a jury convicted Wiggins as the Minnesota Supreme Court ordered a retrial for him and his girlfriend and co-defendant over an error in jury instructions.
Wiggins and Baugh's boyfriend had a falling out while working at a record label. Wiggins had his girlfriend, Elsa Segura, call Baugh from a burner phone while posing as a prospective home buyer named "Lisa Powalski."
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When the victim, a mother of two, showed up on Dec. 31, 2019, however, it was not Powalski she met, but Cedric Berry, now 47, and Berry Davis, now 46. The men bound Baugh's hands and neck with duct tape and forced her into the U-Haul van.
"After about 2 ½ hours, the men eventually drove to Baugh's home in Minneapolis, where J.M.-M. [the victim's boyfriend] was watching the couple's two children, and shot J.M.-M. several times," documents said. "Berry and Davis later shot Baugh in an alley in Minneapolis. J.M.-M. survived his injuries, but Baugh died from her gunshot wounds."
Berry and Davis were convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Before her new trial, Segura, a former probation officer, pleaded guilty last year to kidnapping to commit great bodily harm. A judge sentenced her to 20 years behind bars.
But Baugh's family was none too pleased that Segura went from a life sentence to two decades.
"She sits in there, and she figured out how to get shorter time," Lucille Baugh, the victim's aunt, told local Fox affiliate KMSP through tears. "She should feel that for the rest of her life. Her family should feel it for the rest of her life."
"Not one time … you apologize," she added. "Not once, but you can sit, and you can figure out how to get your time cut short. That's not acceptable."
Wiggins will be sentenced to life in prison on Nov. 13.
"Monique Baugh's family has waited nearly six years for the cases against all defendants to conclude," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. "Mr. Wiggins played a primary role in Monique's death, and he is being held accountable. My thoughts are with Monique's family, and I want to express my gratitude to the jury for their service and to our trial team for securing this conviction."
Alberto Luperon and Jason Kandel contributed to this report
