Jury finds Mankato man guilty of 2021 rape & murder of toddler

A jury has found a Mankato man guilty of the rape and murder of a toddler in 2021.

Lee Wayne Young Jr, 18, who was 16 years old when he committed the crime, was found guilty on numerous felony counts of first-degree murder and criminal sexual conduct.

In April 2021, the two-year-old victim was discovered “bleeding and cold” by his 12-year-old sister, who believed the child was napping.

The medical examiner said the boy had multiple traumatic injuries consistent with rape and beating.

Young Jr initially told police he hadn’t seen the child the day of the murder but changed his story after police said they had seen him while responding to a nearby service call.  He was arrested about two weeks after the child’s death.

Young was initially charged as a juvenile, but he was later charged as an adult. His sentencing is set for June 30.

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