May 13

At a hearing today, Judge Wanda K. Heard sentenced Dwayne Gibson, 20, of the 3900 block of Grantley Avenue, to life in prison. A Baltimore City jury convicted Gibson February 11, 2005 of first-degree murder and two weapons counts. Judge Heard also sentenced Gibson to concurrent three-year prison terms for each weapons count. On the evening of September 28, 2003, Wayne Rideout, 43, mistakenly stumbled in the backyard of 3927 Grantley Road, where Gibson was living. Gibson took a crow bar and beat Mr. Rideout in the head six times, and then dragged Mr. Rideout down a concrete stairwell, doused him in gasoline, and then lit him on fire.

The child sexual abuse trial of Darryll Purefoy of Randallstown, originally scheduled to begin today, has been postponed at the request of the defense. The new trial date is June 24. A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Purefoy December 6, 2004 on more than 100 counts of sexual child abuse and related other counts. Court documents allege Purefoy had sexual contact with a minor female between the years of 1995 and 2000.


The sentencing hearing of Desmond Dickey, originally scheduled for today, has been postponed at the request of the defense. The new date is June 24. A Baltimore City jury convicted Dickey of second-degree murder March 8, 2005 for the August 12, 2001 murder of Anthony Carlest in the 400 block of North Pulaski Street.