Dimitri Craig-Lee English, a 26-year-old securities operations specialist who grew up in Des Moines, was allegedly kicked, stomped and punched by five people in an alley behind a bar in the city’s downtown entertainment district on July 5. He made his way back home to Minneapolis afterward, only to be found dead there nine days later. Two men now face second-degree murder charges, and a third suspect remains at large.
Des Moines police arrested Tyrus Bassette, 22, and Tavon Campbell, 25, both of Des Moines, and charged them with second-degree murder, according to the Star Tribune. Both men are being held without bail in the Polk County jail, and no court hearings had been scheduled for either of them at the time of publication, the paper reported. Police also issued an arrest warrant for a third suspect, 24-year-old Tyrice Bassette, who is believed to be in the Des Moines area; he and Tyrus Bassette are brothers, per the same report.
English was found dead in his Minneapolis home on July 14. Des Moines police told KDSM 17 that they only learned of the death two days later. “We were contacted by Minneapolis police on the 16th of July and notified of the death,” a department spokesperson said. Investigators determined that English had been overwhelmed and assaulted by several people following a confrontation, according to the station’s report.
An Alley Confrontation, Then a Fatal Beating
According to the Star Tribune’s account, English was kicked, stomped and punched by five individuals while he was on the ground and defenseless, a characterization attributed to a police statement. An exchange of words preceded the attack, the report says, though the motive remains unconfirmed. The altercation happened near the 200 block of Court Avenue before English made his way back to Minneapolis, according to WHO 13, which reported the incident date as July 5.
WHO 13 has also reported that Des Moines police are asking the public for help identifying a person of interest connected to the homicide investigation. The station did not identify who appears in the images police released. Des Moines police anticipate that additional people will be charged as the investigation continues, per the Star Tribune’s seed reporting.
From Des Moines Roots to a Career in Minneapolis
English was born in Des Moines in 2000 and graduated high school in 2018 before attending Iowa State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business management information systems with a minor in leadership studies. He later moved to Minneapolis, where he worked as a securities operations specialist for Wells Fargo in the Twin Cities. Per his obituary, English had a passion for numbers, data, leadership and helping guide his team to success, and he was known for joy, curiosity and an unforgettable spirit.
A City Already Reeling From a Violent Year
English’s death marked Des Moines’ 14th homicide of 2026, per the Star Tribune’s reporting. That tally builds on numbers already flagged earlier this year by the Des Moines Register, which found that the metro area recorded 16 homicides in the first half of 2026, with 12 of those inside Iowa’s capital city alone. The Register noted that more people died by homicide in the Des Moines metro in just the first six months of 2026 than in all of 2025; the metro recorded 13 homicides that year, while Des Moines city recorded 10, according to the Star Tribune’s figures.
What Comes Next in the Case
Under Iowa law, murder in the second degree is a class B felony, according to the Iowa Legislature. Tyrice Bassette has not been captured, and Des Moines police continue to seek public help identifying the person of interest and say more arrests could follow as the investigation into English’s death moves forward.
