US Army Lieutenant Peter Teachout, Founder Of Northside "Shoe Patrol" And Hero Of The Hawthorne EcoVillage "Miracle," RECEIVES ORDERS SENDING HIM TO AFGHANISTAN!!!

Photo, blog post by John Hoff


In 2008 and 2009, a great deal of the stories on this blog involved the struggle of this blogger, AND Hawthorne Board Chair Peter Teachout, AND Hawthorne Housing Director Jeff Skrenes to revitalize a gritty four square block area called the EcoVillage and take that area back from drug dealers, prostitution and every manner of street crime. 

The area was, statistically, the worst four square blocks in North Minneapolis and, therefore, in the entire State of Minnesota. Yes, these statistics shift and are subject to interpretation but, well, AT THAT TIME and BY SOME MEASURES. Ask Jeff Skrenes, that geek knows the numbers by heart and probably has them on a SPREADSHEET. 

In any case.

The turning point in the EcoVillage arguably came when Peter Teachout's truck was torched in front of his house and...

"Bloody Fourth of July" Murder Victim Francesca Marie Desandre Died While On Probation For Trespassing, Fits An Emerging Pattern Of "On Probation" North Minneapolis Murder Victims, You Might Want To Be WATCHING THEM A LITTLE MORE CLOSELY, Hennepin County Probations!

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

Francesca Marie Desandre, identified by mainstream media as one of the "Bloody Fourth of July" murder victims from this weekend, is rumored to have moved to Minnesota from elsewhere and reportedly had so few connections in the community that nobody has erected a street memorial for her. 

Online court records show she was convicted of trespass in December of 2013 by entering a locked and/or posted building. The online court record gives a clue where this trespass likely happened because she had a geographic restriction requiring her to stay away from... 

Minneapolis Rapper "Mental Mid" Comments On His Murderous Musical Controversy (And Comments On Commentary About His Murderous Musical Controversy) In YouTube Song "Neva Bluff" (Sic)

YouTube Embed Of "Neva Bluff" by Mental Mid (INTHABASSMINT T.V.) blog
post by John Hoff

I Miss Him So Much I'm Going Mental

Once upon a time, I had the white hot Mental Mid music story all to myself, the story of how "Mid's" songs (SOME of his songs) appear to reference the murder of gang leader Tyrone "Ty Crack" Washington in a downtown Minneapolis nightclub. 

Every previous blog readership record was smashed by that one blog post about Mental Mid, click here, and then the red hot follow up stories, oh my word! Music video participant "Prince Kibbie" both shooting victim and accused shooter! People sending me stuff from social media, saying "LOOK WHAT THE (EXPLETIVE DELETED) PRINCE KIBBIE WROTE ABOUT THAT TY CRACK MEMORIAL BRACELET BEING LIKE, OMG, A 'CHAMPIONSHIP RING.'" (I am paraphrasing, of course) (Except for "like a championship ring," THAT is a direct quote) 

The much-anticipated "Young Dro" concert was cancelled downtown, amid fears of violence, and what did Mental Mid do in the midst of all this, while there was (no doubt!) a rival gang "APB" posted for his murder and/or slow torturous death? 

Well, cool as a brand new bullet Mental Mid released a song called "Back Flip," which according to my analysis after listening two dozen times, and consulting with some random urban dude in a coffee shop, is both about...

Star Tribune Identifies One "Bloody Fourth Of July" Shooting Victim As Cabrie D. Young, 28, Participants In "True North Minneapolis" Facebook Forum Proceed To Fill In The Many Blanks Left By Mainstream Media...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff (date on photo is not correct) 

They didn't wait for the mainstream media, and they didn't even wait for neighborhood bloggers. No sooner had the Star Tribune published an article naming one of the "Bloody Fourth of July" shooting victims in North Minneapolis as Cabrie D. Young, 28, but participants in a Northside community Facebook forum ("True North Minneapolis") started doing their own journalistic research and digging up relevant facts for themselves...

It's A Homicidal Form Of "Deja Vu All Over Again!" While Trae Patterson, 22, Sits In Jail On Two Murder Charges (Possibly ATTEMPTED Murder Charges) A Guy Named Tyrel Lamar Patterson, 25, Faces Nearly Identical Charges And Sits In The Same Jail, And One Space Away On The Jail Roster!

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

THE MURDERS ARE COMING AT THE BLOGGER SO FAST I FEEL LIKE I'M IN A BATTING CAGE!!! 

See previous article, written, like, MINUTES AGO. Trae Patterson is charged with two counts of second degree murder. Could be attempted murder, the roster has a tendency to muddle that particular charge. And assault. Bail set at half a million. NO, it's not part of the Fourth of July spasm of murders, these arrests took place back in MAY and no other media caught the story to tell us any details. Mainstream media are too high and mighty to sift through the jail roster like a blue heron trying to stab minnows with its beak. 

Well, last evening this blogger started at the letter "A" on the jail roster, and started working my way through the surnames. Last night I arrived at Trae Patterson, and today I wrote about him. Feeling satisfied, feeling a sense of accomplishment, I clicked on the next name in my "March To The Z," Tyrel Lamar Patterson, age 25. (DOB 4/13/89) 

WHIZZZZZZZZZZ!!!! There went another ball into the cage and I have to SWING AT IT! Patterson (this NEXT Patterson, Tyrel Lamar Patterson ) faces IDENTICAL charges, and was arrested on 5/27/14, one day earlier than the OTHER Patterson. (Cousin? Brother? What the heck?) 

Tyrel is held on identical bail of half a million dollars. He faces...

Trae Marrey Patterson, 22 Years Old And A North Minneapolis Resident, Is Charged With Two Murders (Possibly ATTEMPTED Murders) But WHICH ONES? As Luke Skywalker Said, "THEY'RE COMING TOO FAST!"

Stock photo, (this is not the murder scene alluded to in story below) blog post by John Hoff


Murder Most Foul! And Most Unknown

Trae Marrey Patterson, born 6/9/1992, is sitting in the Hennepin County jail right now with bail set at half a million dollars. He is charged with assault and two counts of MURDER--2ND DEGREE--WITH INTENT--NOT PREMEDITATED. 

The online roster sometimes adds a level of confusion with certain charges. Attempted murder is sometimes shortened up to, OMG, MURDER, (!!!) so room must be left for doubt and the possibility these are, in fact, ATTEMPTED murder charges. 

However, young Patterson's arrest is NOT part of the...

A Two Day Spree Of Fireworks And Gunfire. Two Days Of Murder And Mayhem. Five Separate Shootings. This Is What We've Come To Expect On Holidays In North Minneapolis. We Start With Paul Mercer, 28, Who Is Reportedly Fighting For His Life And In Critical Condition After Being Shot......

Mugshot, JNS blog asserts it is therefore public domain despite the addition of a watermark, blog post by Jordan North     

Blog Post by Jordan North

I look forward to a day when I can post beautiful stories of family memories made at celebrations in the heart of Minneapolis. A Fourth of July when families gather in the parks for a picnic and fireworks display. People walk home without the fear of being shot, accosted or hit by illegal fireworks. I've always been a bit of a dreamer and the reality here is the exact opposite. 

So for now...

Semone Christian Harris, Charged In 2011 Vehicular Homicide In North Minneapolis, Currently Sitting In Jail...

Forward Operating Base Gardez, Afghanistan, (a/k/a FOB Goode) photo and blog post by John Hoff. The children in the photo are chasing a trash truck, trying to grab bags of American trash. 

The photo above only explains why this blogger would have missed a story in June of 2011 about a vehicular homicide in North Minneapolis, click here for news article. I was busy and I was elsewhere. There are whole months which are mostly blank as far as events in North Minneapolis are concerned. 

So this story is a bit of a "catch up" for me. Incredibly, I can still update the story and contribute some public knowledge. 

According to KARE 11, three people were injured when their car slammed into a tree near 21st and Upton around midnight on June 14. Here's the people KARE 11 identified as injured in the car crash...

Charges Of Violating A Protection Order For Hezekiah Hamilton, Who (As Far As This Blog Can Tell) Has Been A Suspect All This Time In The Murder Of Jody Patzner...

Mugshot, therefore public domain, blog post by John Hoff

Hezekiah Hamilton, who has (so near as this blog can determine) never NOT been a suspect in the murder of Jody Patzner since his questioning and release by police, (nor has he ever been convicted) has still walked a very hard road since that time. 

As this blog reported in November of 2013, he was convicted on drug charges and faced a probation violation hearing. Now Hamilton is sitting in jail, charged with...

Level Three Sex Offender Jesse Lee Garland Arrested, It's Not Clear Why But The Jail Roster Says "Felony" And How This All Fits Into North Minneapolis Residents Being Completely Let Down By Our Public Officials Who Promised Progress On The Issue Of Level Three Sex Offender Concentration...

MN DOC mug shot, therefore public domain, blog post by John Hoff

I know the names of Level Three Sex Offenders in my neighborhood so well that when I'm searching the jail roster for murder suspects (LOTS of murder the past week or so!) those names jump right out at me.

Jesse Lee Garland, pictured above, has a history of raping adult women (complete strangers to him) by compliance through the use of a weapon and sometimes would gain access by getting the women to stop their cars. He's been in our neighborhood for a while, as I can document by my "collect them all" blog post about him in...

Murder Suspect Anthony London Foresta, Charged With A South Minneapolis Killing, Suddenly Lists A North Minneapolis Address On Hennepin County Jail Roster AND GUESS WHO OWNS IT?

 Creative stock photo, graffiti in St. Paul, blog post by John Hoff

There have been so many murders in the last couple weeks that tonight I was looking through the jail roster, hoping I might find a name with a murder charge. Figuring out which murder to connect it to, well, that would probably take until Monday.

I thought I might have hit pay dirt when I checked a North Minneapolis address listed to "Anthony London Foresta" and up popped a murder charge. However, it was an old charge for a killing in South Minneapolis, click here for news article. Foresta and a man named Cinque Lamont Deville Turner are charged in the killing of James Patterson of South Minneapolis. 

Patterson is, yes, one of those purported "crime family" names though part of the curse is the equal likelihood of being a victim. That's what happens when you live by the "no snitching" code. Somebody thinks, "Well, let's just take him up on that, and take his wallet, as well." 

The James Patterson killing is old news, though surprisingly...

HERE IS *EXTENSIVE* JNS BLOG COVERAGE ABOUT Jaylin Davis, a/k/a "Skooby Straightdrop," a/k/a "Skooby G," Who Lived Fast And Died Young, And Now Must Be Written About Quickly Because WE HAVE TWO MORE MURDERS THIS FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND, AS THE LONG HOT SUMMER OF 2014 CONTINUES...

Facebook photo used under First Amendment Fair Comment and Criticism, blog post by John Hoff 

Skooby Straightdrop THIS IS YOUR LIFE

Jaylin Davis, who went by "Skooby Straightdrop" on Facebook (it wasn't the ONLY name he ever used on Facebook, he apparently started his profile with the name "Gwape Banddannsz") was either dealing drugs or determined to make everybody THINK he was a drug dealer by the stuff he posted on Facebook. 

At this point we don't know why he was shot in the head but that kind of accurate marksmanship is uncommon in North Minneapolis shootings, so...

Fire At 1623 Morgan Ave. N. Reportedly Being Treated As Arson, JNS Reader Reports The Property Ownership And Taxpayer Trail Turns Up A Blizzard Of Paper, WHO IS ORYXX EQUITY HOLDINGS INC? Plus JNS Blog Goes To Deepest, Darkest Africa To Find The Meaning Of "Oryxx"

Stock photo, DOES NOT depict fire described in the blog post by John Hoff

A fire took place a couple nights ago at 1623 Morgan Ave. N. and a regular reader of this blog did what this blog often does: dug into the trial of property ownership.

Word from this reader is the fire is being investigated as an arson with the tenant of the property recently evicted, according to information being passed around Facebook. (Take that for what it's worth, no other media is reporting on the fire except neighborhood Facebook forums, so I use the quality of information available and make a public note of it. Heck, the mainstream media are BARELY reporting on this Fourth of July weekend's spate of three shootings and two homicides, and it's ONLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON) (But back to the story about the fire) 

The taxpayer of the property is listed as Oryxx Equity Holdings LLC, whose address is a mailbox in the 55411 zip code...