Gregory Starr-Taylor sentenced to 329-months in prison

On December 13, Gregory Starr-Taylor was sentenced to 329-months in prison for fatally shooting a man in North Minneapolis in February 2021, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Tuesday.

As part of a plea agreement, 31-year-old Starr-Taylor of Minneapolis pleaded guilty to intentional second-degree murder on November 5. Per Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines, 329 months is a guidelines sentence.

Starr-Taylor was on probation at the time of the shooting.

According to the criminal complaint, Starr-Taylor and the male victim knew one another. On February 21, around 3 p.m., Minneapolis police responded to Lowry Avenue North and 2nd Street Northeast where Starr-Taylor had shot and fatally wounded the male victim while both men were in their vehicles.

The victim was struck in the upper torso, neck, and arm, and eventually crashed his minivan. Starr-Taylor’s SUV was captured on surveillance footage and seen by a witness. The same witness also informed police that Starr-Taylor pulled his SUV up to the male victim’s minivan where they argued momentarily before Starr-Taylor fired three shots, the complaint says.

The investigation revealed that a woman named Tashawn Thomas, who was dating the victim and is also charged in connection with his murder, had set the victim up to be confronted by Starr-Taylor on the day in question. Ms. Thomas has pleaded guilty to aiding an offender after the fact and will be sentenced December 16.

Investigators found text messages between Ms. Thomas and Starr-Taylor from February 21 indicating that Ms. Thomas had arranged for Starr-Taylor to confront the victim. Ms. Thomas later admitted she set this up, but claimed she thought Starr-Taylor was only going to fight the victim, not kill him.

Starr-Taylor’s phone records were analyzed by investigators, and they placed him at the scene of the murder. After killing the male victim, Starr-Taylor changed his phone number and told police he never had it to begin with, the complaint states.

On March 11, Starr-Taylor’s vehicle, used when he killed the male victim, was found by investigators.

View Gregory Starr-Taylor's criminal complaint (PDF).