City Council asks for independent audit of the Mariah Samuels case

A poster of Mariah Samuels sat in the fence of her home while her family planted a memorial garden last April. Photo by Azhae’la Hanson

By Azhae’la Hanson, Asst. Editor 

Family and supporters of the late Mariah Samuels gathered at a Minneapolis City Council committee meeting on Oct. 21 to testify in support of a council resolution calling for an independent after-action review of the Minneapolis Police Department's handling of her case. 

Samuels, 34, was killed on Sept. 14, 2025, by her ex-boyfriend, David Wright, outside of her North Minneapolis home. Her death occurred shortly after she called police and told the responding officer that Wright was harassing her and violating a protection order she had against Wright. The officer drove off, and Wright murdered Samuels soon after. 

Wright was sentenced to life in prison in April for her murder. 

Samuels' case shed light on how the Minneapolis Police Department handled domestic violence cases, leaving questions about what more could have been done to prevent her death. 

“Jacob Frey needs to reprimand these officers,” Simone Carter, Samuel's sister, said during public comment. “When you become a Minneapolis police officer, you take an oath. When it comes to an officer pulling up to my house, I expect them to save me, not be the damning thing that is going to get me murdered.” 

Council Member Robin Wonsley reminded the audience that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. She was brought to tears talking about a family member of her own who was lost to domestic violence. 

“I see so many similarities in how our family was failed and Mariah Samuels,” she said to Samuels' family and friends. “It is my goal, my commitment to do everything that we can within our authority to make sure that your family doesn't have to continue to deal with the lack of closure in your case.” 

Council Member Jason Chavez authored the resolution requesting a review and noted that City Council has no power to enforce the request. He said the City Council will explore other options if the auditor doesn’t review the case. 

“Mariah Samuels was failed,” Chavez said. “If it's not going to happen within the Audit Department, as a body, my commitment is to find a different way to make it happen, because if we don't figure out the things that went wrong, there will be more Mariah Samuels in our city.”