A Newport man has pleaded guilty to fatally shooting his cousin in an SUV at the Newport Transit Center and agreed to a 30½-year prison sentence, according to the Washington County attorney’s office.

Sylvester Tremaine Jones (Courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office)

Sylvester Tremaine Jones, 39, entered the plea to second-degree intentional murder-not premeditated Monday for the February 2023 killing of Terrell Eshawn McIntyre, a 39-year-old from Coon Rapids who was found in his SUV dead of multiple gunshot wounds.

Jones’ sentence is at the “top of the box” of state guidelines, said Laura Perkins, county attorney’s office spokeswoman.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 19.

Jones’ attorney, Rebecca A. Waxse, did not return a call made Tuesday seeking comment on the plea.

Jones was arrested the night of the killing and later admitted to it, according to the criminal complaint, which does not mention a motive.

Deputies were called to the transit center parking lot — located at 250 Red Rock Crossing, south of Interstate 494 — just before 11 a.m. Feb. 6, 2023, after a witness saw a man slumped over in the driver’s seat of an SUV, and a pool of blood on the ground.

Deputies found a black 2016 Ford Escape with the front driver’s side door open and McIntyre slumped in the driver’s seat with his left leg hanging out of the SUV. He was dead.

Spent .22-caliber bullet casings were found inside the SUV and on the ground just outside of it. The SUV had no damage to suggest that shots were fired through the vehicle from outside of it, the complaint says.

A sheriff’s detective interviewed the 911 caller, who said that he had seen a man walking from the direction of the SUV toward the adjacent apartment complex. A review of nearby video surveillance backed up what the caller said he saw.

Investigation connects men

Detectives reviewed sheriff’s office records and learned that the SUV had been issued a parking ticket on Nov. 15 when it was parked in front of Jones’ home in the 1700 block of First Avenue North, approximately three blocks from the transit station.

A detective spoke with a relative of McIntyre and was told that he and Jones were cousins.

Terrell Eshawn McIntyre (Courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office)

Deputies reviewed video surveillance from the apartment complex near the transit station parking lot. It showed that McIntyre arrived at the lot in the SUV at 9:34 a.m. and that 10 minutes later Jones got into the passenger seat. Approximately 19 seconds later, Jones got out and walked out of the camera’s view.

During a search of Jones’ residence, detectives found in his bedroom a Sig Sauer .22-caliber handgun on the floor, several boxes of ammunition and clothes that matched those the suspect was seen on video wearing. Jones was home when the search warrant was served and he was arrested.

In an interview, Jones said he had exchanged text messages with McIntyre about meeting at the apartment complex parking lot and his cousin bringing him to a Target store. He said he shot McIntyre between eight and 10 times.

Seven bullets or bullet fragments were recovered from McIntyre’s body during an autopsy. The gunshots included one that entered his leg and severed his femoral artery.

Minnesota court records show Jones has one felony conviction. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with an altered serial number and was sentenced to 15 days in the Ramsey County workhouse, 100 hours of community service and five years of probation.

Related Articles

St. Paul copper wire thief gets probation for latest caper

Former University of Missouri frat member pleads guilty in hazing that caused brain damage to Eden Prairie pledge

Minnesota expunges 58,000 low-level cannabis offenses from state records

Former St. Paul charter school substitute teacher charged with classroom sexual misconduct with student

Boyfriend of former St. Kate’s dean also now faces charges of swindling $400K from the school