Twenty-year-old Daniel Moua was sentenced Thursday to 128 months in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the July 2025 beating death of 54-year-old James Thurber. Moua received credit for 283 days already served, cutting into the time he will ultimately spend behind bars. The attack left Thurber with a severe head injury and unsettled neighbors in St. Paul's North End.
What the police say happened
Officers responding to the 600 block of Hyacinth Avenue found Thurber unconscious and "bleeding profusely" from a head wound, and a 911 caller reported seeing someone run up and strike him with a cane-like object before retreating into a garage, according to KSTP. Investigators later found a blood-stained tire iron wrapped in a plastic bag inside that garage, and Moua's family told police the tool belonged to him.
Victim identified and medical findings
The man was identified as James D. Thurber, 54, who was transported to the hospital with a traumatic brain injury and later died. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner listed cranial cerebral injury as the cause of death, as reported by Bring Me The News. Prosecutors said investigators learned Thurber and Moua had previously worked together scrapping metal before a falling-out, a detail that informed the investigation.
Plea and sentence
Moua pleaded guilty this week to second-degree murder and received a 128-month prison term with credit for 283 days already served, according to KSTP. The plea resolves the Ramsey County case stemming from the July incident.
Family remembers Thurber
Family members have remembered Thurber as a hard-working man who enjoyed hunting and time with relatives, and his obituary lists survivors including a daughter and grandson, according to reporting by MN Crime. The case leaves unanswered questions for neighbors and underscores how quickly a conflict can turn into deadly violence.
