UPDATE: Man to spend at least 35 years in prison for murder of Grand Forks woman

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (Valley News Live) - A sentence has been handed down nearly one year after the brutal murder of a Grand Forks woman.

28-year-old Megan Gustafson was shot to death at her home on Sept. 12, 2021. 26-year-old Ahmed Abdullahi pleaded guilty to murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and other crimes in connection with murder. A judge sentenced Abdullahi to 60 years in prison, with a mandatory sentence of 35 of those years. Abdullahi was also ordered to pay more than $25,000 of restitution to Gustafson’s family.

In a June 2022 interview with Valley News Live, Megan Gustafson’s family and friends say she was a daredevil, a true friend, a mother, a sister, hard worker, and was always able to see the good in the bad. Her grandpa, Jerry Gustafson, says those she knew only got her for a total of 28 years and 10 days, and that will never be enough.

While heh says he’s happy he has home videos and pictures of Megan growing up, as well as a close relationship with her 9-year old daughter, he says it will never get easier to know she’s gone.

“This is one of my favorite pictures of her. I think she was probably about 17 or 18,” says her grandpa. “This is her and her brother and I shoveling the driveway. This is a picture of her when she was three years old. She never changed,” says Jerry Gustafson.

Court documents state police officers came to Megan’s home for a report of suspicious activity on Sept 12, spoke with her and soon left. Shortly after, police say the front door to her apartment building swung open, and officers saw Megan and Abdullahi, heard one gunshot, and then Megan’s scream.

She ran onto the lawn, fell and later died of a gunshot wound to her neck and chin area. Documents state Abdullahi came out of the home on his own with a handgun that was reported stolen the previous year.

The Somalia native has a pages long record before this point.

“Five of which are felonies, if you count the one in Minnesota. He has disorderly conduct, obstructing a police officer, he clearly has no respect for the law or this country,” Jerry said.

Megan’s childhood best friend says she still texts Megan’s phone to give her updates on her life. She adds she doesn’t know what she’ll do if the number gets recycled and she can’t do that anymore.

For those close to Megan, many why’s are still asked.

“He can still get out on parole and walk the streets. Megan can’t walk the streets. You can’t come back from where she is,” says Jerry. “He should have life without the possibility of parole. That’s my feelings on it,” Jerry said.

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