One of two Twin Cities men accused in last year’s murder of a Manitowoc resident has had charges against him dropped. Charges aganist 22- year-old Quinn Orn Smith have been dismissed without prejudice with leave to reissue.
The St. Paul man had been charged with 1st Degree Intentional Homicide in the shooting death of 52 year old Kor Yang. Yang was shot multiple times, after answering the door at his home in Manitowoc on February 5th, 2016.
A gun found nearby was determined to be the murder weapon, and Smith’s DNA was found on the trigger of the gun, as well as DNA that matched 25 year-old Joe Vang of Minneapolis. Yang remains at large.
Smith’s attorney, Jeffery Oswald, filed a motion on May 1st to have comments Smith made during an interrogation shortly after his arrest suppressed, because the interrogating officers neglected to inform Smith that he did not have to speak with them, and they did not confirm that he wanted to. The court granted Oswald’s request, resulting in lack of evidence. The state dropped the case against Smith on May 10.
“If the police department discovers new evidence, or if new evidence is brought forward, we are able to reissue new charges, if we feel we’ve reached that level of beyond a reasonable doubt,” Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacayln Labre said.
Prosecutors said Smith and Vang had ties to the Asian Crips from the Twin Cities area. A motive has not been disclosed for the shooting.
WOMT