Conspiracy Conviction in Death of Ricardo Paige

A city jury on Wednesday convicted Trendon Washington, 21, of the 500 block of E 43rd Street, of conspiracy to commit the first-degree murder of Ricardo Paige, 54. Says the SAO:

The jury heard approximately five days of testimony and deliberated two days before reaching its verdict. Judge John A. Howard scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2009 at which time Washington faces a possible life sentence.

The jury hung on the first-degree murder and handgun counts. The State has the option of trying Washington on these charges again and will make that decision at a later date.

On March 20, 2007 at approximately 6:11PM officers were called to the 500 block of E. 43rd street for a shooting. Upon arrival it was learned that Mr. Paige had been fatally shot six times, including a shot into Paige’s mouth. The motive for the murder was that Washington believed that Paige called the police who in turn raided a stash house where Washington kept his drugs. Upon further investigation it was learned that the defendant along with two other persons committed the crime.

Trials are pending against other co-defendants in this case: Jamal Fulton and Kevin Armstead. Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Wiggins of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

The Walbrook Homeland Security Academy is apparently so crappy, schools chief urges students to transfer midyear (P. hermann visited there last October, later noted that "the students heard back from officials that what they said and what I wrote was not appreciated")

A lot of theft in the Blotter, including the thwarted robbery of the York Rd. Dunkin Donuts

Councilman Robert Curran is battling aggressive tow trucks and wants an audit of city parking lots

In the county, Nicholas Browning is to be sentenced today