Man, 54, sentenced in 2023 fatal shooting of well-known Twin Cities chef
A 54-year-old man has been sentenced in the 2023 St. Paul, Minnesota, shooting that resulted in the deaths of his cousin and a well-known Twin Cities chef.
A Ramsey County judge on Friday sentenced John Lee Edmondson to 40 years in prison with credit for 863 days served, according to online court records.
Edmondson was convicted by a jury in April of second-degree murder in the death of Larry "Chef Hot Hands" Jiles Jr. and illegal possession of a firearm. The jury acquitted him of two counts of first-degree murder in Jiles' death, and two counts of second-degree murder in the death of his cousin, Troy Kennedy.
The shooting happened outside a celebration of life ceremony at the Kings Crossing senior living on Feb. 25, 2023.
Witnesses said Kennedy was walking around with a gun in the parking lot as people were leaving the event, according to charges. Jiles heard a commotion, witnesses said, and came out with a gun.
The criminal complaint says witnesses then saw Edmondson drive up, get out of his vehicle, walk over to Jiles and put an arm around him before shooting him three times.
Witnesses say Edmondson then fired six to seven shots "from his hip at everyone in the parking lot," striking Kennedy, another man and two women, charges say. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office says Kennedy bled to death.
Charges state investigators spoke to a witness who said the shooting may have been connected to someone "working with the police and snitching."
Jiles was born in St. Paul and grew up in Hugo, eventually opening a restaurant in Centerville, Minnesota.