Jury Trial Ends in Mixed Verdict in South St. Paul Homicide Case; Terrell Ranzy Convicted on Firearm Charge
Updated: September 16, 2025, at 5:05 PM.
SOUTH ST PAUL, MINNESOTA: Following a 12-day court trial, a judge has issued a mixed verdict in the case tied to the 2025 fatal shooting death of 20-year-old Matthew Robert Lee inside a South St. Paul residence. According to a press release from Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena, Dakota County District Court Judge Richelle M. Wahi found Terrell Anthony Ranzy not guilty of second-degree unintentional murder while committing a felony and second-degree manslaughter. However, Ranzy was found guilty of possession of a firearm by an ineligible person.
The firearm conviction stems from a prior 2025 Ramsey County conviction for threats of violence, which legally prohibited Ranzy from possessing a firearm.
Ranzy will remain in custody at the Dakota County Jail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for July 15 at 1:30 p.m. in Hastings.
A second defendant connected to the case, Keith Woodson Cox Jr., is scheduled for an omnibus hearing on May 27.
Deadly Shooting Claimed the Life of Matthew Lee
The charges stemmed from a September 12, 2025, shooting inside a residence in the 300 block of 2nd Avenue South in South St. Paul. Authorities identified the victim as Matthew Robert Lee, 20, a former South St. Paul High School student-athlete and student at St. Olaf College. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Lee’s death a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds.
Police were dispatched to the residence around 3:42 a.m. after receiving a report of an unresponsive male upstairs. Officers arriving at the scene were directed to an upstairs bedroom where they found Lee unresponsive on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Another man, later identified as Keith Brian Woodson Cox Jr., 20, suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his arms and torso and was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
Investigators recovered a black Glock handgun from the room.
Pictured, Matthew Robert Lee, provided by GoFundMe.
Investigators said a Robbery Attempt Preceded the Gunfire
According to previously filed court documents, investigators believed Lee was not the intended target of the violence. Witness statements and forensic evidence indicated several people had gathered in a small upstairs bedroom before the shooting. Court records alleged Cox planned to rob Ranzy of his handgun. Authorities said both Cox and Ranzy were armed that night and had reportedly been comparing firearms before the confrontation escalated.
According to investigators, Cox allegedly pulled out a handgun and demanded Ranzy surrender his weapon. Prosecutors alleged Ranzy then fired multiple rounds after falling backward onto a bed during the confrontation. Court documents stated investigators recovered 14 spent shell casings from the bedroom, including both 9mm and .40 caliber casings, indicating that two firearms may have been discharged during the shooting.
Several witnesses reportedly fled the room by jumping through a window as gunfire erupted.
Ranzy Arrested Nearby After Shooting
Following the shooting, investigators said Ranzy fled the residence and was later found hiding in a nearby shed, where he was arrested without incident.
At the time charges were filed, prosecutors charged Ranzy with:
Second-degree murder while committing a felony
Second-degree manslaughter
Possession of a firearm by an ineligible person
The court ultimately acquitted Ranzy of the homicide-related charges but convicted him on the firearm possession count.
As with all criminal cases, the charges against Cox remain allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Provided by Dakota County Jail, pictured, Suspect Terrell Ranzy.
ORIGINAL STORY: Suspect Arrested Following Early Morning Homicide in South St. Paul
Written By: Will Wight
