ST. CLOUD (WJON News) — A Texas man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to a murder charge in a Stearns County fatal drug overdose.
A judge has sentenced 49-year-old Daniel Upshaw to a stayed prison sentence of seven years and two months. He was also sentenced to serve 360 days in the county jail with credit for having already served 119 days.
Court records show Upshaw met the victim at a Maple Lake bar in November 2024. The two men were both former Marines and struck up a lengthy conversation.
At the end of the night, the victim and his girlfriend returned to her St. Cloud apartment. She told investigators she went to bed, and her boyfriend said he was staying up and mentioned he might go to the casino.
At around midnight, the victim’s girlfriend tried calling him but got no answer. She also noticed his truck was not in the parking lot.
The following morning, the girlfriend found the man’s body lying on the garage floor, and it was cold to the touch. Investigators discovered evidence of cocaine use near the victim and on the tool bench where his phone was also located.
When authorities accessed the victim’s phone, they found a text thread between the victim and a contact named Dan. The text thread discussed a drug deal between the two and included a photo of a man holding a baggie with a white powder in it. Through the text messages and video from the bar, authorities were able to identify the suspect as Upshaw.
Upshaw pleaded guilty in October to one count of 3rd-degree murder.
LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decadesStacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.
Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF
25 True Crime Locations: What Do They Look Like Today?
Below, find out where 25 of the most infamous crimes in history took place — and what the locations are used for today. (If they’ve been left standing.)
LOOK: 50 Beloved Retail Chains That No Longer ExistStacker takes a look at 50 major retail chains that no longer exist and the reasons for their demise.
Gallery Credit: Madison Troyer