An argument on November 1, 2020, in Des Moines ended with the death of 45-year-old Marcellas McNeil. Police responded to a shooting in the 2600 block of Ingersoll Avenue around 1:26 a.m.; first responders found Mr. McNeil with a gunshot wound to the head and he later died at a hospital. His death was the city’s 21st homicide that year.

Investigators quickly identified a suspect close to the victim. Authorities say McNeil had been arguing with his 24-year-old daughter, Rythm Huddleston, after the dispute moved from a bar to a nearby parking lot; Huddleston reportedly shot her father and fled in a vehicle. Witnesses helped police locate and arrest her shortly afterward; officers recovered a suspected firearm and reported that Huddleston admitted to the shooting.

Huddleston was charged with first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. She later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder. At sentencing in August 2021 she received 50 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of 35 years before parole eligibility. Does anyone have additional information about Marcellas McNeil or the circumstances that night?