Arrest Made In 1991 Minneapolis Cold Case

MINNEAPOLIS — Donald C. Jenkins, Jr., 56, of South St. Paul was arrested on state charges Tuesday in connection with the 1991 murder of Belinda Thompson, 20, the Minneapolis Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.

Thompson’s body was found in the bedroom of her south Minneapolis apartment on Dece. 19, 1991. Thompson had injuries to her body that the medical examiner determined led to her death.

Jenkins was arrested Tuesday in South St. Paul and is being held on probable cause of murder. Jenkins was allegedly an acquaintance of Thompson’s boyfriend at the time of the murder.

Following a year-long case review by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Jenkins was arrested after the BCA’s lab conducted additional forensic testing of physical evidence recovered at the scene, according to a news release.

“We owed it to Belinda and her family to never give up on finding her killer, and while nothing will ever bring her back, we hope it will bring some comfort to those who loved her that we, working with our law enforcement partners, are in a position to hold her alleged killer responsible,” Jill Sanborn, special agent in charge of the Minneapolis division of the FBI, said in the release.

“Today’s arrest demonstrates that we will never give up on these cases. For our cold case unit, our memories are long and our commitment runs deep and we are pleased with today’s development in Ms. Thompson’s case,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo.

Jenkins is currently being held in Hennepin County Jail, pending the filing of formal charges by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

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