Families gather at annual Stolen Lives March, renew calls for accountability across state lines

Families of people killed or missing in encounters with police, in state custody and in unsolved shootings gathered in St. Paul for the annual Stolen Lives March on Sept. 12, organized by Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence and led by activist Toshira Garraway Allen. The march drew relatives from Chicago and Mississippi, underscoring organizers’ argument that Minnesota’s grief reflects a nationwide pattern.

The gathering opened with a communal prayer, then moved into remarks from family members and advocates, each naming a person they said had been failed by police, prosecutors or the state.

Kobe Dimock-Heisler

Amity Dimock, mother of Kobe Dimock-Heisler, marked more than six years since Brooklyn Center police shot and killed her 21-year-old autistic son. Dimock-Heisler was killed Aug. 31, 2019, after his grandfather called 911 during a domestic dispute; officers shot him after he displayed a knife, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, which declined in 2020 to charge the two officers, citing a reasonable fear for their safety. Dimock has disputed that account and called for an independent investigation. A federal wrongful death lawsuit against the city was later dismissed. Dimock said she recently addressed the United Nations on police brutality.

Cornelius Jackson

Alissa Washington, founder of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council MN, spoke about Cornelius Jackson, who she said was not the shooter in the case that sent him to prison for life without parole. DOC records show Jackson, now at MCF-Faribault, was sentenced in 2007 in the 2006 shooting death of Christopher Lynch in Hennepin County; his offense is classified as homicide, aiding and abetting. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said the state’s trial theory was that Jackson and another defendant both shot Lynch and caused his death, a characterization Washington disputes. A Minnesota Supreme Court opinion affirming his conviction cited witness testimony describing his involvement, with two justices dissenting. 

Stephen Washington

Washington also spoke about her cousin, Stephen Washington, killed inside MCF-Rush City on Oct. 9, 2025, months before his scheduled release. She said he and his cellmate had asked to be separated hours before his death, and that his life could have been saved had staff acted. The Department of Corrections said the death remains under investigation by the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office and will go to the county attorney for review. “The safety of individuals housed in DOC facilities remains our priority,” said Commissioner Paul Schnell. “The death of Mr. Washington is tragic, and we await the findings of the investigation.”

Ricky Cobb II

Washington also marched for Ricky Cobb II, killed by a Minnesota State Patrol trooper during a July 31, 2023 traffic stop. Trooper Ryan Londregan was charged with second-degree murder in January 2024, but Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty dropped the charges in June 2024 after outside counsel reviewed the case. Londregan’s attorney said the new legal team “reached the appropriate conclusion.” Cobb’s family has called the decision outrageous and demanded a federal investigation.

Terrence Franklin

She also named Terrence Franklin, who died during a May 10, 2013 encounter with Minneapolis police in a basement he had fled to during a chase. Police said Franklin grabbed an officer’s weapon and shot two officers before he was killed; his family disputes that account and calls his death an execution. The city settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Franklin’s family for nearly $800,000 in 2020. A county attorney later called for renewed review, but the BCA found no new evidence in 2021 requiring a fresh investigation.

Amarie Alowonle

Washington also referenced 19-year-old Amarie Alowonle, shot May 4, 2025 during a large gathering at Sanborn Park in Robbinsdale; she died a week later, on what would have been her 20th birthday. As of mid-September 2026, Robbinsdale police said no arrests have been made and the case remains active. Officer John Elder asked anyone with information to contact CrimeStoppers of Minnesota at 1-800-222-8477.

Kohen Wiley

Marquell Bridges, who traveled from Mississippi with the father of one-year-old Kohen Wiley, described the child’s death as the result of officers firing into a vehicle. Bridges, who leads the Building Bridges Coalition, said the shooting has drawn comparisons to police violence cases in Minnesota and that the family hopes to build a national network connecting affected families. The Senatobia Police Department said the case remains under investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and declined to release records, citing the ongoing inquiry.

Amir Locke

Family members of Amir Locke, killed by Minneapolis police during a no-knock warrant execution on Feb. 2, 2022, traveled from Chicago to speak. Locke’s mother, Karen Wells, criticized Mayor Jacob Frey and the department’s handling of the case. The Hennepin County Attorney and Minnesota Attorney General declined to charge the officer who shot Locke, Mark Hanneman, saying footage showed Locke had raised a gun toward him. The shooting led the city to restrict no-knock warrants. Wells has called her son’s death an execution and criticized MPD’s decision to reassign Hanneman to a training role.

David Storbakken

Melissa Storbakken spoke about her brother David, missing for about 16 months. She believes he was killed and has criticized St. Paul police for not searching an area near a Mississippi River encampment she has pointed investigators to, including requesting cadaver dogs. Police said the case remains open and its Missing Person Unit is following up on tips with the state’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office. A cadaver dog search was conducted in spring 2026, though police did not say whether it covered the area Storbakken identified.

Brandon Keys

Lisa Keys spoke about her son Brandon, killed by a St. Paul officer on Dec. 7, 2023, during a mental health crisis. Police identified the officer as Michael Tschida, a full-time employee with past discipline for improper procedure and a preventable car crash. A state BCA release said Tschida and Keys exchanged gunfire and that Tschida was also shot, an account Keys disputes. She said the county attorney declined to bring charges, citing qualified immunity; the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office has published a declination memorandum on its Officer-Involved Incident Reviews page.

A recurring call

Speakers connected their losses to a broader call for policy change, including ending qualified immunity and demanding independent investigations into police-involved deaths. Organizers said they plan to keep building connections between families across state lines.

Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.