Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announces two-way evidence sharing between state and federal agencies for Metro Surge shootings

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO), Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office (MNAGO) have obtained hard drives of previously withheld evidence in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis.

Renee Good’s car, along with some of the other physical evidence originally kept from state investigators, is now in the BCA’s custody. The BCA has also shared its files on these cases with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“As I’ve said many times over the last six months, our office has not prejudged any of these incidents,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “We need transparency. We need cooperation. Our community needs it. Renee Good and Alex Pretti’s family deserve it. Julio Sosa-Celis deserves it. Our democracy requires it.

“After receiving this evidence, we immediately began to analyze it in the context of the evidence we already had in hand. This analysis is ongoing. It will be thorough, fair, and complete. We are committed to seeing this through, to making a decision and being transparent about it no matter where the evidence takes us.”

Statement from Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison:

"It should never have taken this long for Minnesota law enforcement to gain access to the federal government's evidence surrounding the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis. My aim has always been to ensure justice is done, and this evidence-sharing is a positive development in that essential work.

“I remain deeply troubled that the federal government spent more than half a year attempting to conceal this evidence from state investigators, and I hope this is the beginning of a major course correction on the part of the federal government.

“The people of Minnesota expect and deserve a complete, transparent, and independent investigation into what happened to Renee, Alex, and Julio, and I will continue to do everything in my power to carry out such an investigation and to follow the facts wherever they lead.”

The BCA and MNAGO played instrumental roles in developing this agreement. The Washington Litigation Group and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection provided critical pro bono support, as they have since January.

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