May 26, 2017 –  At a pre-trial hearing in Cook County Court this morning, Kirk Lee Bigby, 62, of Finland, MN, pleaded guilty to Felony Murder in the December 2015 shooting death of 35-year-old Marcus Roberts of Bloomington, MN. The incident occurred in Tofte, MN.

The State of Minnesota was represented by Cook County Attorney Molly Hicken with assistance from Assistant Attorney General David Miller. The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission, as authorized by the Minnesota legislature, has set the presumptive sentence for Felony Murder, for a defendant who has no criminal history, to a range of 128 - 180 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

"The goal of a criminal prosecution is to bring about a just result within the limits of what the law can provide," said County Attorney Molly Hicken. "That goal is met with this admission. The sentencing guidelines do not consider the value of human life lost, nor can a prison sentence ever return a person to the arms of their loved ones. With this resolution to the case against Kirk Bigby, the defendant has taken responsibility for the loss and pain he has caused and will be punished for his actions.”

Bigby has been in the custody of the Cook County Sheriff, but held for the most part at the Lake County Jail. After sentencing, he will be transferred into the custody of the Department of Corrections and likely be detained at one of the State-run prisons for the remainder of his sentence.

Contact: Molly Hicken, County Attorney, (218) 387-3670.