Casimir Semlak Pleads Guilty and Sentenced to 17 Years for the Fatal Shooting of Anthony Skelley
SOUTH ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - Casimir Semlak, 20, has pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder (drive-by shooting) in connection with the May 2022 fatal shooting of 17-year-old Anthony Skelley. Semlak, who was also 17 at the time of the crime, received a sentence of 204 months (17 years) in prison, according to court documents from the Dakota County District Court on January 14, 2025.
Semlak’s sentencing marks the conclusion of a tragic case that began on the evening of May 8, 2022. Officers responding to reports of gunshots found Skelley lying unresponsive in the street near his South St. Paul home. Skelley, who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, was pronounced dead at the scene. Evidence collected included a BB gun in his hand, a small bag of marijuana, 9mm shell casings, and a cellphone.
Investigators linked Semlak to the crime through text messages with Skelley discussing a marijuana sale, surveillance footage, and witness statements describing a small vehicle fleeing the scene. Police tracked Semlak’s phone and arrested him the following day in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was found with a loaded Springfield 9mm Hellcat handgun. Ballistic evidence matched the firearm to the shell casings found at the crime scene, and DNA evidence further tied Semlak to the weapon.
Originally facing three felony second-degree murder charges, Semlak pleaded guilty to the count of second-degree murder (drive-by shooting). The other charges—second-degree murder (with intent, not premeditated) and second-degree murder (without intent, while committing a felony)—were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Judge Catherine Johnson sentenced Semlak to 204 months in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud, with credit for 982 days already served in custody. Semlak will serve two-thirds of his sentence in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. The sentence reflects a downward durational departure from the sentencing guidelines, with court documents stating the reason for the downward durational as “less onerous than usual.”
Original Story: Man Gets Three Felony Murder Charges Following the Fatal Shooting of Anthony Skelley in May 2022
Dakota County Jail
Written by: Will Wight
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