Guilty verdict comes quickly in Thompson murder trial

A Carlton County jury of 10 men and two women deliberated about five hours Tuesday before finding Sheldon Thompson guilty of eight counts of murder. Five of those eight counts are first-degree murder charges, which come with an automatic sentence of life in prison.

Thompson, 35, was accused and found guilty of brutally killing his pregnant girlfriend, Jackie Defoe, their unborn child, and 20-month-old Kevin Lee Shabaiash Jr. in March 2020.

About two dozen people attended the final hearing at the Carlton County Courthouse. Jackie Defoe’s mother, friends and extended family filled two rows of re...