NEW DETAILS: Woman found in ditch was in relationship with man accused of killing her

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Mustafa Rashad Bush is being charged with second-degree murder in the death of Kim Robinson. He is being charged with second-degree murder with intent, not premeditated. The maximum sentence for this crime is 40 years.

He is also facing two other counts. Those include second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony and first-degree drug charges for possessing 50 grams or more of cocaine or methamphetamine. Combined these hold maximum sentences of 70 years.

KTTC obtained the criminal complaint from Olmsted County to learn more about the state’s investigation.

On December 26, 2022 deputies were dispatched to the scene of a suspicious death. A woman walking her dog on West River Road NW in Rochester spotted a body with no clothes on near the intersection of River Bluff Lane NW and West River Road NW. Blood was found on the shoulder of the road. The body was placed perpendicular to the road. Investigators say drag marks were visible in the snow.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Medical Examiner arrived to collect the body. That’s when one of the detectives recognized the deceased woman and was able to identify her as Kimberly Ann Robinson.

According to investigators Robinson had spent Christmas Eve with one of her sons at her mother’s house. Those interviewed by investigators say Robinson and Bush had been fighting, so Robinson was staying with a friend. However, after spending time at her mother’s, she met up with her boyfriend Mustafa Rashad Bush at his sister’s house in Northwest Rochester. They stayed there until the early morning hours of December 25.

Bush and Robinson lived together in a home in southeast Rochester. According to family, they had dated for about two years.

When questioned in the days after Robinson’s body was found, Bush’s sister told police she thought her brother had hurt his girlfriend.

Detectives interviewed friends and family of Bush and Robinson, using forensic technology investigators say they were able to track Robinson’s whereabouts leading up to her death, and her locations are consistent with the information provided by these people.

When looking at phone records, on December 25, 2022 Bush’s phone could no longer be tracked at 8:45 p.m. Robinson’s phone could no longer be tracked at 9 p.m. The last communication from the phone came from the area near West River Road in NW Rochester.

Investigators say according to witnesses, Bush disposed of several items in a burn pit at a home in southeast Rochester. Investigators found he burned some clothing and glasses frames were found at that site.

On December 28 investigators conducted surveillance at the home of Bush in southeast Rochester. He was moving items from his home to his blue 2017 Kia Optima. After obtaining a search warrant investigators found many items belonging to Bush as well as 1/2 pound of cocaine.

On December 30, 2022 investigators became aware of what they call suspicious social media conversations related to the death of Robinson. The man posting was a person who met Bush in prison. He said Bush came to his house on December 26 to wash some clothes, grab a laptop and clean out his car in this man’s garage.

On December 28 preliminary autopsy findings show Kim Robinson died from a gunshot wound to her neck. She also had serious injuries to her face including a deep contusion on her forehead and bruising around her eyes.

According to Captain James Schueller with Olmsted County says the Sheriff’s Office spoke to a family member of Bush and asked them to help get him to the Law Enforcement Center. That family member brought him down to the Law Enforcement Center where he was arrested after declining to give a statement.

Bush has been in custody at the Olmsted County Jail since December 29.

In 2007 Bush was convicted of 2nd-degree murder, and he served 2/3 of that sentence in prison. He was placed on supervised release in Olmsted County in March 2020.

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