All 5 Suspects Charged in Grahek’s Murder

DULUTH, Minn. – Three more suspects have been charged in their involvement in the shooting death of UMD student, William Grahek on February 14, 2017.

Deandre Demetrius Davenport, 21; Noah Duane Baker, 19; and Noah Anthony Charles King, 18, all of Duluth, have been formally charged in St. Louis County Court. All three are charged with Second Degree Murder and First Degree Attempted Aggravated Robbery in their involvement in 22-year-old William Grahek’s murder.

Bail is set at $1,000,000.00 for each.

Two other suspects were charged yesterday with their involvement in this case. Tara Baker, 22, of Duluth was charged with the same counts and is currently being held on $500,000 bail. Xavier Haywood, 26, of Duluth was charged with Aiding an Offender to Avoid Arrest. Haywood has since posted bail and has been released from St. Louis County Jail.

Their next court appearances are set for March 30 at 10 a.m.

FULL CRIMINAL COMPLAINT:

On or about February 14, 2017, at approximately 2:00 pm., officers of the Duluth Police Department responded to a  report of a shooting in the 500 block of East 11th Street, in Duluth, St. Louis County Minnesota. William Andrew Grahek, the Victim herein, was transported to the hospital for his injuries. He was declared deceased upon arrival. The manner of his death has been declared a homicide.

Investigation revealed the Victim was shot twice while in the lower level of his residence on East 11th Street. Further investigation led officers to the residence of Noah Anthony Charles King. King’s residence is in close proximity to the Victim’s residence. Specifically, officers on scene observed a trail of footprints between King’s residence and the residence of the Victim. King was observed wearing shoes that were consistent with the tread pattern identified in those footprints.

It was determined that King along with Noah Duane Baker, and Deandre Demetrius Davenport, were together at King’s residence between 1:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. The three were observed putting on dark-colored clothing and concealing their physical appearance just prior to leaving King’s residence. They exited together via the rear entry which would be in line with making entry to the lower level of the Victim’s residence. It has been determined that King, N. Baker, and Davenport had received information from Xavier Alfred Haywood leading them to believe the Victim would have large amounts of cash and items of value to them. Notably, investigators did recover a safe containing controlled substances and cash from the Victim’s bedroom after the homicide.

Once at the Victim’s residence, King, N. Baker, and Davenport made entry into the home. They had with them a 9mm Glock firearm. Davenport is found in photographs located through the investigation to be in possession of a firearm that appears to be a 9mm Glock within the week prior to this homicide. The three made contact with the Victim and demanded that the turn over his “stuff.” Other residents in the upper level of the home at the time confirm hearing yelling and the words “Get down on the ground” just prior to hearing gunshots. According to statements taken, the Victim refused to turn over his “stash” and also refused to get on the ground at which point, Davenport shot the Victim twice. King, N. Baker, and Davenport then fled the scene, without taking the safe, in a 1999 white Jeep Cherokee operated and registered by Tara Baker.

Tara Baker has identified her Jeep in various videos collected from the area at the time of the homicide. She has further confirmed she was the driver of the vehicle between the hours of 1:26 p.m. and 2:26 p.m. Notably, Tara Baker is N. Baker’s sister and is also in a relationship with Davenport. T. Baker spoke to investigators and asserted she is the only one who drivers her Jeep because no one else has a valid license. Tara also confirms she is with N. Baker and Davenport in her vehicle when it is seen on East 10th Street in the area of King’s residence at 1:26 p.m. Based on evidence collected, investigators have been able to narrow down the time of the shooting to between 1:53 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2017.

Tara Baker’s Jeep is seen driving in the area of East Ninth Street and North Eighth Avenue East at a high rate of speed about one minute before the 911 call is made at 2:00 p.m. This is two blocks away, approximately, from the homicide. At approximately 2:26 p.m., the Jeep is then identified arriving at the Cenex gas station in front of King’s residence on 10th Avenue East and 6th Street. King is seen exiting the vehicle and going into Cenex. King eventually returns to his residence wearing different clothing than the clothing he wore when the left earlier. When he has contact with law enforcement a short time later, King has changed his clothing a third time.

Tara Baker is outside of the vehicle and she has identified herself in this video. She further identified the front seat passenger at the time to be Davenport. Another individual is observed to be in the vehicle, but is not able to be identified at that time. However, Tara Baker is then observed driving the Jeep to an apartment building, where Baker is then seen exiting the Jeep and running into the building.