Guilty Verdict For Christmas Day Murder of Rochester Woman

(UPDATE) - Members of an Olmsted County Jury returned a guilty verdict against 41-year-old Mustafa Bush this afternoon. The Rochester man was convicted of first-degree murder involving a pattern of domestic violence and second-degree murder with intent. The jury acquitted him of first-degree murder with premeditation. His conviction carries a sentence of life in prison.

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The fate of a Rochester man charged with murder is now in the hands of the jury.

Jury Now Deliberating in Rochester Murder Trial

Law enforcement found the Rochester woman’s body in the ditch along a rural northwest Rochester road on December 26, 2022.

41-year-old Mustafa Rahshad Bush, who the charges say was with Robinson the last time she was seen alive, faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder.

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The criminal complaint says investigators learned that Bush had been living with Robinson at a residence in southeast Rochester during the two years preceding her death.

The charges also indicate that investigators spoke with a family member who told them that Bush had confided in her that he had hurt his girlfriend.

Another witness told investigators they saw Bush loading a large and very heavy suitcase into his vehicle late Christmas night, the charges say.

Mustafa Bush- Minnesota Dept. of Corrections photo

The criminal complaint says investigators later found blood evidence in the vehicle, along with about a half-pound of cocaine.

Court records indicate Bush had previously spent about 14 years in prison for fatally shooting a Rochester man in 2006. He was discharged from prison in 2020 on supervised release.

A pretrial filing indicates the judge presiding over the case granted a defense motion to prohibit the prosecution from mentioning or referencing Bush’s murder conviction.