A jury on Thursday found Dylan Simmons guilty of unintentional murder in the death of 17-year-old Darisha Bailey Vath, who he hit with his car at a Forest Lake park last year following a fight between two groups of people that knew each other.
Jurors concluded that Simmons, 21, of North Branch, did not intend to kill her, acquitting him of second-degree intentional murder. He was convicted of the remaining charges: second-degree unintentional murder, criminal vehicular homicide and three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
Simmons showed no emotion or reaction when the verdict was read, nor when the jurors were polled.
The teen’s family and friends hugged each other outside a third-floor courtroom.
“She’s finally getting justice after almost a year and a half,” said her mother, Sareth Vath. “I feel like now we can start grieving correctly, because the last year and a half we weren’t able to.”
When asked to comment on the jury acquitting Simmons of intentional murder, she said, “He still murdered her, so …”
The jury, which was made up of 11 men and one woman, deliberated for four hours Wednesday and an hour and a half Thursday.
Washington County District Court Judge Siv Mjanger set Simmons’ sentencing hearing for March 20. Prosecutors intend to seek an aggravated upward sentencing departure.
A conflict between Simmons’ group of friends and Vath’s group of friends — all former or current students at Forest Lake Area High School — had been brewing for about two years, according to prosecutors.
Simmons’ attorneys argued during the trial, which began Dec. 11, that he was faced with an “angry mob” and had acted in self-defense when he drove his Mazda 3 at Vath, her brother and others from the opposing side around 1:20 a.m. July 16, 2023, in Lakeside Memorial Park in downtown Forest Lake.
Witnesses testified that Simmons intentionally drove at them three times. He narrowly missed hitting people the first time, then looped around the parking lot and collided with the rear of a car.
Simmons then backed up his Mazda and again drove directly toward several people who were near another car, striking Vath and driving over her with all four tires. She died at the scene.
Simmons later told a Forest Lake police investigator during questioning he thought he hit a “speed bump.”
Vath, who would have been a high school senior, dreamed of becoming a veterinarian.
“I miss her,” her brother, Devon Bailey Vath, 20, of Stacy, said after the verdict. “I love my sister. My beautiful sister.”
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