Timothy Bakdash Convicted of Second-Degree Murder

Timothy Bakdash, the Roseville-native who fatally struck 23-year-old University of Minnesota senior Benjamin Van Handel with his car last April, has been convicted of second-degree murder, the Star Tribune is reporting.

After a night of drinking at the Library Bar and a parking lot dispute on April 15, Bakdash drove his car into a group of U of M students, killing Van Handel and injuring three.

Judge Daniel Mabley instructed jurors to convict Bakdash of second-degree murder if they thought he “believed that his act would kill” but if his actions fell short of premeditation.

Mabley said “an unconsidered or rash impulse” did not meet the qualifications for premeditation.

“You must consider whether the defendant’s voluntary intoxication rendered him incapable of forming the intent to kill,” Mabley told the jury on Monday.

Bakdash and claimed he had consumed 18 to 25 drinks and 1.5 grams of marijuana and was only trying “to scare” a man with whom he had quarrelled.

Assistant Hennepin County Attorney William Richardson that by continuing to drive and accelerating his car after the first pedestrians were struck, Bakdash committed an intentional and premeditated murder.

“One shot might not be premeditation but boom, boom, boom, boom, boom,” Richardson said, rhythmically thumping the half-wall barrier of the jury box with his hand’s heel. “Once after pulling the trigger he didn’t have to fire it again and again and again and that’s what he did by driving down and hitting one person and another and another.”

Tamburino disputed the state’s portrayal, arguing that Bakdash steered away from the first victim, A.J. Epperson, and that if he intended to commit murder, Epperson would have been “pinned” against the embankment wall.

“Even if you say to yourself, ‘Mr. Bakdash knew he was barreling down the sidewalk and hitting people,’ even that doesn’t give you the intent to kill,” Tamburino told the jury. “There is no evidence whatsoever that Mr. Bakdash knew any of those people or wanted to hurt any of those people.”

The jury began deliberating at 2:45 p.m. Monday after a six day trial and reached their verdict, according to the Star Tribune, exactly one day later.