Man Gets Three Felony Murder Charges Following the Fatal Shooting of Anthony Skelley in May 2022
SOUTH ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - According to a criminal complaint that the Dakota County Attorney's Office just released, now 19-year-old Casimar Semlak has been charged with three Felony counts of 2nd Degree Murder in connection with the murder of 17-year-old Anthony Skelley. Semlak was 17 years old when the crime was committed on May 8, 2022, but on January 10, 2023, Semlak was certified to stand trial as an adult, according to the criminal complaint.
The criminal complaint states that officers responded to a residence in South St. Paul, Minnesota, around 10:42 PM on Sunday, May 8, 2022, after they received reports of gunshots. Witnesses reported that a male lying in the street was not moving. When officers arrived on the scene, they found 17-year-old Anthony Skelley unresponsive in the street with gunshot wounds to the head, torso, and shoulder. Officers reported that he was not breathing and had no pulse. Officers performed CPR on Mr. Skelley to try and revive him, but when medics arrived on the scene, he was pronounced deceased.
In Mr. Skelley's hand, they found a gun that they later would identify as a BB gun. Next to Mr. Skelley, Officers found 9mm shell casings, a small bag of marijuana, and a cell phone. Neighbors reported to the police they heard gunshots and saw a small white or silver 4-door vehicle fleeing the scene at a high rate of speed. Several ring doorbells in the area also captured a portion of the incident and confirmed the reports from neighbors.
Officers spoke with a male in Mr. Skelley's home during the incident, who told police he heard Mr. Skelley on the phone with someone before going outside. Not too long after going outside, the male heard several gunshots. A search warrant on Mr. Skelley's house found multiple gallon bags and glass jars of suspected marijuana in Mr. Skelley's bedroom. Another search warrant for Mr. Skelley's phone allowed law enforcement to get the number for the last phone call on his phone. It would also later turn up a string of text messages between him and another person about the sale of marijuana. Law enforcement would later tie that last phone call number to a possible suspect from user information on the Cash App. That user would be "Ky Semlak" or Casimir Semlak of St Paul, Minnesota. From this information, officers ran this information through the Minnesota DMV records to get an image for Semlak, which they matched to a Facebook photo for a "Ky Semlak."
The next day, officers were able to track the phone number for Semlak to a black SUV, which officers followed to a park in St. Paul, Minnesota. Officers could positively ID Semlak sitting on a bench at the park next to the basketball court. When Semlak and two friends walked back and got into the black SUV, officers moved in on the vehicle and arrested Semlak.
During the arrest, officers found Semlak in possession of a Springfield 9mm Hellcat handgun that was loaded. The loaded magazine had a few bullets missing, and the shells matched those found at the scene of the shooting scene. They also found a cellphone containing text messages between Semlak and Mr. Skelley. Data from Semlak's phone was also obtained, which showed that he had traveled to Mr. Skelley's residence at the time of the shooting and then drove back to St. Paul after. In addition, Semlak's DNA was also found on the grip of the gun that officers seized.
The following are the three felony charges that Carimir Semlak was charged according to the criminal complaint:
Felony Murder in the 2nd Degree (With Intent) (Not Premeditated)
Sentence: 3-40 years
Felony Murder in the 2nd Degree (Drive-by Shooting)
Sentence: 3-40 years
Felony Murder in the 2nd Degree (Without Intent) (While Committing a Felony)
Sentence: 3-40 years
Semlak's bond was set at $1,000,000 without conditions and $750,000 with conditions. His bond has not been paid since this article was written. He remains in Dakota County Jail, with his next court date set for Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 9 AM in Hastings, Minnesota.
Dakota County Jail
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