EP man’s bail set at $1.5 million in second-degree murder case of brother

Dalal Bayle Idd, the 27-year-old Eden Prairie man charged with the second-degree murder (without premeditation) of his seven-year-old brother Abdullahi Adod Gelle, made his first court appearance in a Hennepin County courtroom on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, Idd stood in a holding area adjacent to the courtroom, informally known as “the box,” before Judge Peter A. Cahill.

During the hearing, Kevin C. Riach, Idd’s defense attorney, argued for lowering his client’s bail, which was set at $1.5 million unconditionally. He said the charging document “is pretty thin in terms of the allegations” against his client.

Idd has been in custody at the Hennepin County Jail since his arrest. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

“There are some allegations about kind of ambiguous comments he made (in a) telephone call, and there (are) some inconclusive findings from the medical examiner,” Riach told Judge Cahill. “And the prosecutors have stacked those things together and insinuating that they point towards guilt. But beyond this insinuation, there is no evidence really implicating Mr. Idd.”

Riach also said Idd has “significant family support available” despite the nature of the charges. He said the family is “strongly behind Mr. Idd. Family members are here today to support him.” He added that Idd does not have a history of “absconding.”

“Admittedly, there is going to be a significant bail number here,” he said. “But the number it’s set at, it might as well be $150 million in terms of what the family can do and what the support that’s behind Mr. Idd can do to actually raise and make bail for him,” Riach said. “So, we’re asking a significant reduction in bail.”

Prosecutor Judith Cole told the judge that the state’s request for bail for Idd is $1.5 million without conditions and $1 million with conditions. She noted his previous felony assault convictions, for which he served prison time from June 2015 to November 2022. He is under the supervision of the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) through December 2025.

Cahill sided with prosecutors on their request for the unconditional amount but did not appear to order the conditional amount.

“Mr. Idd, you score a 70 on the bail scale, which is high, indicating you are a risk to public safety, especially based on your convictions and the allegations,” Cahill said. “So, bail is going to remain at $1.5 million unconditional bail. A DOC hold will remain in place. So, essentially, bail remains what is said in the complaint.”

A DOC hold means that even if Idd posts bail, he won’t be released due to his ongoing supervision by the Minnesota Department of Corrections. The hold keeps him in custody for suspected violations or new crimes, pending further evaluation or hearing.

A county attorney’s spokesperson says the probation department scores arrestees on factors like the seriousness of the offense, employment status, and criminal history to assess release risks. The bail risk scale goes from low (0-11 points) to high (26+ points).

Idd will appear at the Hennepin County Government Center for an omnibus hearing on Oct. 24 at 8:45 a.m.

Criminal complaint

According to the criminal complaint filed on Friday, Sept. 15, against Idd:

Eden Prairie police dispatch received a 911 call at 10:10 p.m. on Sept. 12 from a caller later identified as Idd. Idd told the operator he didn’t know what he just did and claimed to be having some mental health issues. He declined to specify whether he had harmed someone but said, “I just did something.” He also stated that his actions were “for the greater good” and that “God told me to do something to prove that I’m not God.”

Emergency personnel were dispatched to the location from where the defendant was calling — his parents’ home in Eden Prairie. Officers located Idd and took him to the hospital for evaluation. During the encounter at the home, Idd told officers he was afraid his mother might try to kill him, saying, “I’ve done something that may have her want to kill me.”

Officers returned to the Eden Prairie home to search for other occupants and found two children sleeping in their beds. They also discovered Gelle, who was unconscious and not breathing. Officers observed petechial hemorrhages — tiny red spots caused by broken blood vessels — around Gelle’s eyes. Despite life-saving attempts and transport to M Health Fairview Hospital in Edina, Gelle was later pronounced dead.

An autopsy on Gelle was performed by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, who observed petechial hemorrhaging in various areas of his upper body, including his eyes, face, and back. While no life-threatening injuries or diseases were found, the case remains pending further investigation. The medical examiner noted that such hemorrhaging is often associated with strangulation and that the autopsy findings were not inconsistent with that cause of death.

In a search warrant application, an Eden Prairie police officer noted that such hemorrhages often suggest strangulation or suffocation. Based on the evidence and Idd’s statements, the officer found probable cause to believe Idd killed Gelle before calling the police.

Criminal history

Idd served prison time from June 2015 to November 2022 for crimes he committed in Eden Prairie on March 9, 2014. Court records show he and another man attacked and robbed a man in the men’s locker room of Life Time Crosstown at 6233 Baker Road. Later, he broke into a nearby house and assaulted the homeowner in front of his two children.

In 2015, a court linked Idd’s violent offenses in 2014 to substance use and potential mental illness. Idd was reportedly under the influence of methamphetamine during those 2014 assaults.

While executing a follow-up search warrant at the Lee Drive residence on Sept. 13, detectives found multiple journals and notes detailing Idd’s struggles with substance abuse and mental health disorders. In one note, Idd wrote “stay sober” as the top thing he would do to promote his mental health. In another, he noted he takes Haldol for schizophrenia.

Investigators sought an additional search warrant for Idd’s blood sample to check for controlled substances. This warrant is intended to determine if any substances influenced Idd during the Sept. 12 incident and whether he was taking his prescribed schizophrenia medication.

Court records from 2020, when his sister petitioned to become Idd’s guardian, stated that Idd has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and is under court-ordered commitment. The records further stated, “Dalal is a young man with a history of mental health illness, has refused medication for quite some time while incarcerated, until civil commitment was ordered and medications given daily.”

Community support

A GoFundMe page, established by Gelle’s cousin on Sept. 14, aims to raise $30,000 for funeral expenses and to support the family.

Gelle was a first grader enrolled at Eden Lake Elementary. 

As of 10 a.m. Thursday, $28,534 has been raised.

The fundraiser described Gelle as “a sweet 7-year-old who lit up every room he walked into.” It further mentioned he was “loved by everyone who knew him,” possessed “a kind and gentle soul,” and was always keen on making others laugh. The boy also cherished family moments and playing Roblox with his siblings.